Naruto Dragon Ascendant
by Freedom Guard
Summary: Orochimaru thought that using the seal would disrupt the Kyuubi's chakra and render Naruto weak and helpless in the Forest of Death in the Chuunin Exams....little did he realize that in Naruto lies a dormant power....older than all the Kekkai Genkai.
1. Chapter 1

Naruto Dragon Ascendant

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is part of the Naruto franchise…

Prologue

Blood Ascension…

( ): Thoughts

--------

In Konoha…

"Get away from my store you brat!"

"Geez….I just wanted to buy a shirt…."

The blonde child walked away in a huff and moved away from the store. As he did so several more people glared at him and gave him unfriendly looks and all he could do was look back and laugh as he moved away to find something else to do, however…it was not long before he was near the outside of the village gate that he found that he was being followed by a numer of armed villagers.

"Not again!!!"

The blonde boy turned his heels and took off to avoid the following individuals armed with an array of tool, who were intent on inflicting bodily harm on him. He however was running so fast that he was not watching where he was going and therefore he ran into another person.

"Oof!!!"

Naruto fell to the ground and he looked up and saw someone standing before him and was wearing robes of a very different nature. The man had deep golden eyes and golden hair with silver streaks in them, the man smiled at Naruto and spoke in a regal tone.

"You should watch where you are going young man…"

"Sorry…ah….they're here!!!"

"There he is!!!"

"Demon Brat!!!"

The tall man dressed in regal robes looked at the band of armed villagers with a calm eye as he stood behind the young blonde child and suddenly in the eyes of the villagers and the young boy….a massive halo of fire surrounded the man quickly and then they watched as the flame grew and took a living form….almost like a serpent made of pure flames….the serpent rose and roared out at the villagers as the man spoke in a serious and regal tone of authority.

"If you think I will let this boy come to harm….you are sadly mistaken…leave now….or else."

"How….what kind of jutsu is that?!"

"He created a serpent out of flame without moving his hands…."

"He must be…a demon!!!"

The man spoke again with a calmer and more patient tone…

"Demon….no….I am something more than a demon….in me flows power you are not even able to understand yet in your life-times….I do not plan to fight you as you are not my sworn enemies nor are you and your weapons are of any threat to me even in this form….but I have stated that you will not harm this boy while I am around….now be gone!!!"

The villagers began to back away and soon took off to a run and blonde boy looked at his savior with shocked and amazed eyes. The man's face softened considerably and the serpent of flame faded from sight and the young boy looked at the man and finally spoke in a very awed tone.

"W-Who are you?!"

"Me? I am Valen….and you are?"

"My….my name is Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki….how did you do that?! You didn't use any hand seals at all!!!!"

Valen looked at the young man with a curious expression and spoke in a very cultured fashion.

"What do you mean by hand seals young man?"

"A ninja is supposed to use hand seals to make a jutsu work….that's what I learned back in the Academy….is that some kind of jutsu that does not use hand seals?!"

"Ah….hand seals, you mean mystical gestures in my tongue….no young man, what you have witnessed is a technique that uses no hand seals if you will."

"COOL!!! Can you teach me that technique?!"

Valen grinned and replied.

"I wish I could young Naruto….but I am afraid that now is not the best of times for such an action."

"Awwww please!!!!"

Naruto did his most cute gesture of pleading….earning a chuckle from the man in robes….however that changed when the man became serious and stepped in front of the boy as a band of strange individuals dressed in black, wearing armor and carrying swords came on the scene. The strangely garbed people surrounded Naruto and Valen as the villagers came back….no doubt they had called these people to try and deal with Valen….another band of the strangely garbed men came and with them was a man who was dressed in regal robes and wore a strange hat on his head with an odd symbol. As the new person of authority appeared….several of the ANBU stood the bar the way of the villagers…

Naruto quickly recognized the man before him in the regal robes.

"Old Man!!!"

The old man was Hiruzen Sarutobi…the Third Hokage of the Village of Konoha and the current leader after the death of the previous leader of the village. He had been the one who cared and protected Naruto when he was young and it was he who placed down the law concerning an ancient truth that had long been hidden from the young man in question. Hiruzen then spoke to the stranger.

"Who are you?"

"I am Valen….and from what I can see and sense….you are the leader of this village, am I correct?"

"Yes….my name is Hiruzen Sarutobi…and I am the Hokage of Konoha….why are you here?"

"I came here merely to rest and move on in my journey when I saw this boy being chased by a band of the villagers and they were armed with some weapons. I naturally stepped in as I will not allow any harm to come to a child for whatever reason."

"I see…It seems that I am in your debt."

"So it seems…"

The Hokage looked at Naruto who was looking at both him and Valen and he looked back at the stranger….there was something odd about this person before him….there was power….great power that dwarfed his in a good number of ways and it seemed that the power itself was controlled in a fashion that was unnerving. The elderly Hokage knew that despite his seeming calm this stranger possessed enough power to rival most if not all ninja at the moment…he had to tread carefully here and he knew it.

"I wish to talk to you…come with me to the Tower."

Valen considered it and nodded.

"Very well….I accept your invitation….but what of the boy Naruto?"

Naruto then spoke out as he saw that this was a chance to finally be in the tower without having to deal with the villagers giving him trouble at the moment.

"I'll go with Valen Old man!!!"

--------

Later…

"Hmmm….these are very interesting food items….I have never tasted these before Sarutobi, what are they called?"

The Hokage looked at Valen as the stranger was currently eating some fish balls at the moment. Valen was amazingly cooperative with him and the ANBU that escorted him. When they had entered the village….the villagers who tried to harm Naruto stayed away from the tall stranger who apparently was more concerned with the boy's safety than his own as he gave them a calm but very serious glare that radiated power and strength that made Sarutobi know that this stranger was more than capable in the art of war.

"Fish balls, they are fish meat that have been specially made into balls."

"I see…now I must know some things about this young man that I have rescued….from what I have seen, a number of the village's residents have ill intentions towards Naruto. Why is that the case?"

"That is a very long story….and I have made a law that forbids any mention of it."

"Does it have anything to do….with the evil power I sensed in the boy?"

The Hokage looked at the stranger who was calmly eating the fish balls but had a very serious stare and the Hokage could tell that the man was gently asking for answers to his questions. Normally he would never speak of the past, but this man wielded a power that he had never seen before and that was saying something for the former genius Shinobi known as the Professor.

"It was years ago….the demon beast known as the Kyuubi attacked Konoha, it was powerful creature….with a single blow of it's tail, forests were destroyed, tsunamis would occur and mountains crushed…many ninja of this village gave their lives to stop it's rampage and the Fourth Hokage….who was my replacement after I retired years ago, gave his life to seal the demon away in a boy…"

"That boy being Naruto I take it?"

"That is correct….the Yondaime hoped that Naruto would be seen as a hero before he died, the one who would bind the Kyuubi and keep the demon away from all life….but the villagers see him as a demon child….when I took up the office of Hokage once more, I made an edict to prevent anyone from ever speaking of it to others, even their children, but I fear that it will not be enough….as they look at Naruto with angry, hateful, and spiteful eyes, their children will look at him the same way….but what choice did I have? It was either that or they would harm him."

"It doesn't seem to work as well as you might think however."

Sarutobi nodded at that….the incident that Valen told him was but one a few open attacks on the boy by people to thick headed with their desire to harm the child. But thankfully the ANBU he had assigned to keep watch over Naruto have done their best to keep him from harm, this day's incident was due to bad luck, and no amount of planning could change that.

"I know….that is why I worry at times….Iruka does his best to help Naruto live a normal life….but I feel that it will be an uphill battle for Naruto to be accepted as one of the village's people and as a ninja."

"Who?"

"Iruka Umino, he is one of the Chuunin Instructors in our Academy, and he is the one who acts as Naruto's father figure….Naruto might prank Iruka at times like everyone else, but he is the one who helps Naruto whenever they are not in the Academy grounds."

"He sounds like a good man."

Sarutobi nodded at that.

"He is….Iruka's parents were killed by the Kyuubi when it attacked, but he treats Naruto like a little brother and Naruto sees him as a father figure…despite their bickering, the two of them love ramen just as much. Because he was an orphan like Naruto, Iruka used to have the same lonely life and because he knows and understands Naruto's life he cares for him a great deal….despite the past. That is something I know greatly to be true."

Valen nodded and as soon as he was finished eating his food, he spoke to Sarutobi.

"You wished to know who I am Sarutobi, I believe that was a question in your mind when you and I met, and I have no doubt that the villagers have told you of my powers. I can assure you that I am no demon…though I am not entirely human either."

Sarutobi looked at Valen and was patiently waiting for answers and he knew that several hidden ANBU were ready to respond should something go wrong here, though he doubted that they would be a match to Valen as he could tell that whatever Valen truly was, his powers would be far beyond them and even his.

"I can show you just who I am… however this will be for your eyes alone….this will not hurt but brace yourself nevertheless."

Valen then placed his hand on Sarutobi's forehead and the old man gave a slight groan and the ANBU appeared to fight….but only a moment later, Valen moved his hand away and Sarutobi spoke to the ANBU.

"I am all right…."

The Hokage looked at Valen and spoke in a very reverent tone.

"I understand what you are now….but I must ask what you plan to do now?"

Valen smiled and replied.

"I have a boy to watch over for a while."

In the coming days, Valen was given permission by the Hokage to hang out with Naruto and Valen did so with a smile. Naruto himself was happy to have a friend and Valen was certainly a very cool guy as well as Iruka. The Chuunin Instructor and Naruto's father figure had to admit that while Valen was imposing, he was well cultured and mannered as well and seemed to be very comfortable in Naruto's presence, despite the blonde's antics.

He was told by the Hokage that Valen was all right, but he had heard the rumors how he could control fire and wield strange powers from the other villagers, but Iruka believed the Hokage more than idle gossip and if the Hokage said that Valen was all right with him then the Chuunin was all right with Valen.

Valen however was far from idle as he planned on how to help Naruto…and through unknown means had begun to make needed changes to help Naruto out….and with the Hokage's help, things were going along well enough. Valen had not revealed anything to Naruto, feeling that now was not yet the time for the young man to know everything….he would learn on his own time and he would be the one to make the decisions for his own future….that was what being human was all about….free will. It made him both smile and mourn when those thoughts came to mind…

Humanity always made mistakes, it was natural, and just as there were great heroes and noble people in their kind, there were infamous villains and corrupt people in them as well. The future of humanity always was unique, they could go one way or the other. Some were great champions of peace, justice, compassion, some could be harbingers of war, suffering, corruption, while others were stuck in between or chose to be there themselves. His race was old….older than any living being on this world he was merely visiting….long before man ever walked the world….his race and many others lived before them….and when humans came…

His race were intrigued by them, since while they were doomed to die easily….they were also gifted with great potential and ability, even the most common of their race could rise to great heights. It was that reason that drove his race to grant humans a rare honor….the Blood Ascension Ceremony. In time it proved to be a mixed result….some used their powers to do great good in their worlds….while others did great evil with those powers as well. In time, the humans who were blessed with the powers of the Ceremony began to squander their powers and even used them to attack the very beings who gave those powers….his race….At first, their attempts were futile….but his race grew tired and eventually left the lands….leaving humanity to carve out their own future.

Valen knew that and decided that while his actions were considered….treasonous by the more conservative members of his race….his actions could help rectify many things. Unlike the others, he still believed that humans were worthy of power, and he felt that now was the time to reawaken the old bonds that once bonded their race with his. Yet he knew better than to charge ahead…time…and experience had taught him much and the many millennia that had passed by since the last time his race ever spoke to humans had no doubt wiped the memory of his race from the worlds they were once part of…and the bloodlines they left behind had apparently lost a good portion of their original power….as without the presence of his race and those who underwent the Ascension Ceremony, portions of power in the blood were lost over time. And it seemed that this village of Konoha had a lot of that long degenerated power.

For now however….he had other ideas and plans….and those deserved his full and undivided attention.

As the days turned to weeks, Valen knew that the time was right, his time in this world was coming to a close and his time with Naruto would end, but not before he made the last phase of his plan and with that in mind, he spoke to Sarutobi a day before he would leave. Suffice to say….the conversation was very much different and the Hokage was not entirely agreeing with the plan….but he promised Sarutobi that he had made the plans and contingencies that were necessary for Naruto. The old Hokage couldn't help but worry and he couldn't blame Sarutobi for that, however, the plans were already in motion and he trusted him to see them through.

--------

Naruto was not happy…

"You can't be leaving now of all things….it's going to be my birthday today."

Valen smiled a bit and replied.

"I will be leaving tomorrow yet Naruto, so for today I am here. By the way….I have something for you to try out."

Naruto looked at Valen handed him a big strange looking cup and it was filled with deep red liquid and it seemed to glow somewhat as well, something about it seemed to make him feel a bit worried but he pushed those feelings aside and looked at Valen who smiled a bit. Valen was among the few to come to his private birthday as well as Iruka, Teuchi and Ayame. The two were among the few people apart from Iruka, the Hokage, and Valen that Naruto trusted and they were very good to him, They were the people who made his favorite food and Iruka's own as well and they were very decent and nice people as well. Naruto then spoke to his friend.

"What is this? This better not be some weird drink for a joke."

Valen laughed at that and replied.

"No, I'm not the kind to joke anyone on important days like this you know…. But go ahead and try it Naruto, it won't hurt you or whatnot….it might make you fall asleep faster though."

Naruto looked at the drink and sighed and took it all in and found to be having a sharp but not a bad taste…sweet and cold, almost like a near frozen fruit drink. As soon as that was over, the party started and to his amazement, the Hokage himself came and greeted him a happy birthday….making Naruto all the more happy and when the time came to finally wrap things up after the four hours celebration, Naruto went to sleep and this allowed Sarutobi and Valen to talk with one another at the moment.

'So it is done….I hope that you were right in this….the Kyuubi would no doubt try to defeat that power…"

"I know that, but this demon will have a very hard time with the power, he might contain it…..but he cannot kill it, it will be able to meld with Naruto soon enough. As for me….my time has come to leave….tell Naruto that I will miss him."

"I will."

Valen then wasted no time and left Konoha and he was not stopped by anyone in the village….since everyone else with the exception of the ninja on patrol were asleep. As soon as he was a fair distance from Konoha…a blue portal opened and Valen stepped through it and disappeared from Konoha and Naruto's world.

--------

In a massive chamber…

"You're actions Valen….are becoming very troubling as of late."

Valen merely gave a smile and another voice came into the play.

"Wipe that smile off your face Valen….you know that you have violated our laws."

Valen spoke firmly and with great authority.

"Are you saying that my actions which were independent have no purpose….you all know that I am not ignorant of the laws."

"We do not question your wisdom….but we do question the why of your actions. You know that we were not to engage in the Ceremony with humans ever since the Exodus of our race to this dimension, we could walk and observe, but never interfere without good reason….but this….this use of the Blood Ascension Ceremony is something that we cannot ignore for any reason."

"It was my decision to do so…and I have already weighed the possible outcomes personally."

"Have you? Have you truly? Do you realize that such power in the hands of humans will bring untold things to world you were in?"

"Yes…and I will not take it back. If anything goes wrong, then I will deal with this myself."

The beings questioning Valen were robed and hooded, but their eyes glowed with great power as they regarded Valen and one of them spoke as well.

"See that you do Valen, you are one of the oldest of this Conclave and the strongest and wisest, but your irrational actions at times have brought headaches and even disgust in the Conclave….however, if you are willing to shoulder this responsibility, then so be it."

As the hooded beings left….another figure appeared behind Valen and Valen turned to face his new companion.

The person appeared human but was covered in a very intricate set of tattoos that were gold on his slightly dark skin color and had a pair of wings in a bat like form behind him and his eyes were glowing slightly in a golden light, the human like being had deep black hair with steaks of silver in it as the man wore pants with armor on it along with arm guards and boots, the new arrival then spoke to the disguised Dragon who was still in his human form.

"They're not happy with you again Master."

Valen chuckled at that and replied.

"I guess they would not be….given my rather unique choice of action recently."

"They have good reason in this case….you know as well I do that they have good merit….many humans have abused the Blood Ascension Ceremony and used the gifts bestowed upon them for their own selfish desires and their mad quests for power, knowledge and immortality. And we all know the outcome of those things, either we slay them or those who are of like powers kill them as well."

"True….but keep in mind Fenrix, that there have been just as many humans who use the powers of the Blood Ascension Ceremony for the right reasons and have been paragons of light, truth, justice, compassion and peace as well. And it is they who slay those who commit evil and destruction….and so do those borne of such unions….as you well know."

The winged and tattooed man/dragon nodded at that.

"I do not question that Master….but there are few of them left in the worlds where we once resided in, there are too few humans like them in this day and age now."

"True….but that is not an excuse to give up faith and hope for humans….I for one sensed a great destiny before this young child….he can be the savior of his world….or it's destroyer. The day I met him and sensed his potential, and his life….I feel in my old bones that he will be the greatest one of his world and I pray that he will take the path of being it's savior and not it's destroyer."

"Hmmmm…."

"You doubt me Fenrix?"

"I do not Master….I simply wish to know more of this human that you bestowed the Blood Ascension Ceremony to and your blood. He must be truly someone special for you to donate your sanctified and unlocked blood to."

"His name is Naruto….Naruto Uzumaki and the past few days I spent with him are enough for me to deem him utterly worthy of the Blood Ascension Ceremony. He carries a burden with him that will shape him for the rest of his life….and I believe that my blood that now flows in his veins will be the key for him to truly be stronger than anyone."

"I see….tell me about him."

Valen sat down and so did his half dragon student and the two discussed the life of Naruto and as time passed Fenrix looked at his Dragon Master with some surprise.

"You bestowed him your ceremonially consecrated blood even if such a being is inside him….that was a great risk you took Master….there is a chance that demon might have sealed the blood when you accomplished the Ceremony and allowed Naruto to drink it."

"I had thought of that….however….that demon will have a hard time containing that power as it will filter through slowly….you know my lineage after all."

"I do….I guess that since you have committed this action, then nothing can reverse it. But you know that it is law that should one undergo the Blood Ascension Ceremony, then another must serve as his or her guide or that person will not be able to truly utilize and control the powers than flow now in their veins….and this Naruto will be no different despite your lineage…he will need a guide Master."

Valen nodded and replied.

"That he does young Fenrix…and you shall be his guide….I charge you with his education and his training in the ways of the Dragon Ascendants."

"Me?"

"Yes….you ARE a Dragon Ascendant yourself after all….you know it's power and the responsibilities entailed with it…and there is no one else more qualified in my mind than you, my young student."

"I'm not exactly young anymore Master…"

"Truly….at least by human standards of course…time moves much slower for you and I, and we are older than any living mortal, however, my decision has not changed. Will you do this for me?"

"If that is your wish….I shall do as you ask, I just hope that this Naruto that you speak so highly of is truly worth your praise and the Blood Ascension Ceremony that you performed."

"He is, more than even I can imagine. Take good care of him and teach him well, he can be a true hero with the proper guidance."

With that discussion over, Valen watched as Fenrix made his way to the portal that led to Naruto's world.

--------

Back in Konoha…

Naruto continued with his life in the village and hoped that his guardian would come back soon despite his word that they might not meet again. It was saddening to the young man that his foreign friend was no longer about but he was happy to have met him and he smiled as he headed on back to the Academy…

Unaware that he was now assigned a guardian and teacher for the rest of his life…as he was being watched…

Fenrix watched Naruto from a very fair distance using his Dragon vision, this allowed him to observe Naruto without being seen by others, he did this as he felt that it was time to observe just what was it about the boy that sparked his master's interest…

--------

"Open your eyes Naruto…"

Naruto opened his eyes and was surprised to see that Iruka's forehead protector was gone and it was then that Iruka told him the words he had longed to hear ever since he had been in the Academy.

"You've graduated Naruto, you are a Genin now."

"Iruka-sensei!!!!"

(So the boy knows his burden now, but was not driven to anger by it….and he has managed to fight the one who is like family to him….good.)

Fenrix said as he observed Naruto and Iruka from afar, he had been concerned when the traitor Mizuki had made his moves on Naruto but he was impressed as his future student had not given himself over to hatred and rage and hearing that Iruka cared for him for real despite the past and considered him a good ninja of Konoha even if he makes mistakes and more, at least his heart was in the right place and that made him a real man not a beast. That impressed Fenrix and made Naruto cry as the Dragon Ascendant watched as Naruto fought Mizuki, and he had saved the man he considered family. It seemed that the boy would reach his dreams and there was good promise in the boy after all.

He also took the time to study Konoha and it's people well….to know what was it about this simple warrior village that sparked the interest of his Master and it seemed that a considerable portion of the people here had good talent and ability, and he was interested in the bloodlines in this village….though compared to the dormant bloodline in his soon to be student, theirs would need a lot of work to come close to even a fraction of the power lying dormant in Naruto.

However….Fenrix had his worries to think about as he looked at the happy scene between Naruto and Iruka who he knew well enough.

--------

"From now on….we're rivals!!!!!"

Naruto and Konohamaru looked at one another and the two gave grins at one another and they parted as good friends and rivals as they were getting ready for the soon to come time that they would fight one another for the title of Hokage.

Fenrix looked on and noted the change in Konohamaru when the boy associated with his future charge. The boy had finally understood that defeating his grandfather would never earn him the title, he had to work hard and train hard to be a true successor to the title of Hokage and if he had not associated with Naruto, then it would have never sunk into his mind.

His charge was proving to be a very interesting person.

--------

Fenrix couldn't help but chuckle a little as he watched Naruto work with his new team, this Sasuke was supposed to possess the Sharingan, a bloodline trait that granted considerable abilities to it's owner though the Dragon Ascendant had not seen it in action yet. The boy was cool and aloof and took great pride in his training, and Naruto disliked him for it. Sakura was a smart girl and possessed a considerable level of chakra control and was the best in written scores and intelligent, Fenrix could see that while Sakura didn't seem to be special, she had other abilities that were different from the others…

He observed Kakashi and admitted that while the Jonin was late considerably, loved reading perverted books, and more, the man had great promise as a ninja and according to what he had researched about the Jonin sensei, he was a good teacher for them all at the moment. And he had to admit that this Jonin would be interesting to see in action.

--------

Fenrix nodded as he watched Naruto speak with Haku in the forest, he had been concerned when Haku attempted to harm Naruto but he was curious why he stopped. He listened to the conversation between the two and while he had a feeling that he should move in, he chose instead to watch once more, to see what will happen.

Later…

As Naruto and his team left Wave Country, Fenrix smiled all the more as he looked at how well the boy had grown and he would prove to be a very interesting student to teach….however, the Dragon Ascendant had his worries…the Kyuubi would no doubt have restrained the power of his Master's ceremonially consecrated blood early….as his master had told him, and despite the power of his master's blood, it had been held off by the Kyuubi…

Until the demon's hold was removed….then there was no way for Naruto to gain the full powers bestowed upon him by his master Valen….for now…all he could do at this moment was wait and observe as the team headed back to Konoha.

--------

(Damn it….)

Fenrix swore as he watched the battle between this Grass Genin who was more than what he seemed in the Forest of Death. He had observed Naruto and his team barely dodge the bullet in the first exam stage and now here they were in the Forest of Death, which reminded the Dragon Ascendant of the Forest of Eternal Sorrow centuries before in his time. He observed them and watched as Naruto fought with this Grass Genin alongside Sasuke but in the end it was a difficult battle….however he spotted the Grass Genin striking the area where the seal that held the Kyuubi was located and the strike given by the being.

Fenrix stopped just about as he was to enter the fray after so long in observing his young charge when he sensed something flowing in Naruto's body…he focused his eyes on Naruto's…seeing past his clothes, skin, flesh and body….into his very being….and saw something that he had hoped to see in a very long while…

The sight of his Master's blood flowing and mixing with Naruto's own blood, the glowing blood of a Dragon King….mixing with that of a mortal body….granting power to the one it was given too….the birth of a Dragon Ascendant….an event never seen by others in nearly three thousand years.

(So…it has begin….but the boy's mind has not adapted yet and neither has the body….this is not good….)

He watched as Sakura tried her best to protect both Sasuke and Naruto and he could only wait and see what will happen and hope that something good will come out of this….despite his reservations in the matter. He observed as the Sound Genin were about to attack and then the arrival of the other Konoha teams that he had seen to help them.

He gave a growl at the sight of Sasuke being controlled by the mark of that Grass Genin and watched as the man attacked without mercy and injured his attackers, and he watched as Sakura managed to stop him….but it was then that he sensed the up well of power inside Naruto….but sensed that it was growing too fast….

Fenrix quickly knew that the time to act was now…

--------

It was then that Dosu and everyone in the area was treated to the sound of a massive and primordial scream.

The sound filled the forest and the sound was enough to make all of them freeze and even lee was shocked back to being away and then they turned…

"AAHAAHHHHHH!!!!!!"

Naruto was awake….but gripped in pain and rage as he thrashed about in a fury….as golden colored mist flowed from his body.

Sasuke, Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji, Lee, Tenten, and Dosu could only look in shock as Naruto roared in pain as he moved about and there was golden mist that was seeping out of his very skin. The blonde Genin roared in a very inhuman way and was thrashing about as if he was being burned alive internally….

(Naruto….my God….what's happening to him?!?!)

(What's wrong with the dobe….did that ninja have something to do with this?!)

(What the heck is this….and why is it Naruto's chakra is expanding….)

Naruto suddenly tore off his upper clothes and exposed his upper body and to the shock of everyone….there were glowing white symbols on his body…moving like living flame all over him….and then they began to glow golden as the mist seemed to fade back into Naruto's body….and to shock of just about everyone….Naruto…was growing right in front of them. The glowing energy turned into an intricate series of tattoos that were unlike anything they had ever seen before….and there on Naruto's chest were five glowing points of light, one was deep red like blood, another was as white as a cloud in the sky, another was a deep blue as the sky and water, another was deep brown like the color of earth, and the last was deep yellow…like gold itself….the lights faded into spots that still seemed to glow as Naruto keeled over with his hands covering his face as his body was covered in gold tattoos with silver lining….his hair was longer now and seemed to shimmer for some reason.

Naruto then moved his hands away and spread them out in a roar that made the very air vibrate with great intensity…and then he revealed his face….also covered in tattoos which did not remove the whisker marks he had and his eyes were glowing deep blue. The blonde ninja suddenly growled once more as he charged right at Dosu and the other Sound ninja…in a speed that dwarfed that of Sasuke when the flame like tattoos came alive.

"What the?!"

Dosu barely and enough time to leap back with Kin and Zaku with him when the tree behind him was blown to splinters by Naruto's punch as the blonde Genin was roaring out in absolute battle rage….almost like a berserker. The leader of the Sound Genin could only look in shock at how easily the blonde had reduced the tree into kindling….

(My God….did Orochimaru brand the blond e with the Cursed Seal too?! No….that is not the Cursed Seal…it's something else entirely….and that power….it's enormous…even Sasuke's chakra in the Cursed Seal form can't match that level!!! We have to escape now!!!)

"ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!!!!"

Naruto leaped out at Dosu and lashed out with a powerful wave of pure destructive chakra that the ninja barely evaded as it reduced a nearby tree and a boulder into nothing….Naruto stopped and roared in anger as he looked about to seek his prey. The other ninja were shocked by this change in Naruto and tried to stay away….

Sakura stepped forward and spoke carefully….

"Naruto!! What's wrong with you?!"

Ino, who had fully recovered from the technique she used on the Sound Genin Kin was shocked that Sakura was actually trying to talk to Naruto who was somehow in a feral rage, she got up and shouted.

"Forehead Girl! What are you doing?! Get away from there!!!"

Naruto turned and his glowing gaze was aimed right at Sakura who stopped as she was paralyzed with fear as something in Naruto's glowing gaze was primal and deadly. The blonde ninja opened his mouth and out came silver mist from his mouth and he clenched his fists and was about to move….

Sakura barely had time to react when Naruto was now right in front of her in a heartbeat, she had barely moved an inch and despite being nearly twenty feet from her….Naruto closed the gap instantaneously..

(My God….he moved so fast I didn't even see it….)

However….Naruto didn't attack Sakura at first, merely gazed at her and then raised his right hand and his clawed fingers touched Sakura's cheek for a moment and he growled softly…making the others tense up even more….somehow, Naruto was not attacking Sakura but that could all change…

It was then that a voice was heard.

"NARUTO!!!!"

Naruto and the others turned to see a robed and hooded man appear, the man was taller than any of them….almost the same height as Kakashi himself. The man removed his hood and robes and showed that he was wearing pants, armored boots, and forearm guards as well as a simple shirt….the man suddenly growled in a way that resembled Naruto and to the shock of the ninjas present….the man's body was suddenly covered in the same gold and silver mist and in a moment….he too had the same tattoos as Naruto did….though in a different pattern than the ones Naruto had. The new arrival had his own eyes glow the same way Naruto's did, but his gaze was deep green.

Naruto roared out and charged and the man did likewise and both began to attack one another….their punches connected and unleashed a powerful shockwave that knocked the ninja down to the ground with sheer force as the wind seemed to explode from the blows the two unleashed on each other.

Sasuke shook his head and looked on with shock evident on his face.

(How can that dobe's blow become that powerful?!)

Sakura was greatly concerned as she looked to see the two facing each other off in combat…questions were everywhere in her mind…but two were the most serious questions that were in her mind as she witnessed what was going on before her.

(What's going on?! Who is that guy?!)

The two traded punches and kicks at one another and the sounds of the impact were enough to make everyone hearing it wince as it sounded VERY painful….but the two continued to throw attacks at one another at the moment. The ninja watched as Naruto's punch was evaded and a nearby boulder was shattered and reduced to powder in a heartbeat as the two warriors charged at one another….Naruto was totally focused on the new arrival and this allowed them to all hide…

Neji deactivated his Byakugan as he was nearly blinded by the massive bonfire of power that flooded Naruto's veins and chakra pathways.

(That power was incredible….he didn't have that kind of power when he was in the Chuunin Exam's first stage….what is going on here?!)

The two traded blow after blow and the area before them was now a ruined battleground as if two titanic forces had clashed her and tore up the lands before them in a violent and brutal fashion. However the new stranger fought with a precision and focus that showed that despite Naruto's power….he was not just equal to Naruto….but more that a match in power and also more skilled. However….the warrior had other ideas.

(This is not going to end well….I might have gained his full attention….but his power is still too wild….that demon must have heavily sealed the blood of my master greatly, allowing it to grow without adapting to his body properly, at this stage he will not be able to fully control it….I must restrain him and suppress his powers quickly before he ends up ripping this entire forest apart and attack anyone close to him….including his friends!)

The warrior dodged Naruto next barrage of kick and quickly leaned backward as Naruto racked the air with his claws and it was then that the stranger took out a pair of forearm guards and clamped them on Naruto's arms….

Instantly the forearm guards glowed and latched on Naruto and Naruto roared out in surprise and back to back away and to the amazement of the others, they all saw the tattoos on Naruto glow once more and rapidly fade away and retract back into Naruto's body….Naruto thrashed about and still roared and growled until he suddenly stopped and turned….allowing them to see that his eyes were back to their normal form….and then Naruto collapsed….falling unconscious and snoring once more.

"Thank Goodness I made it in time…"

Sakura directed her attention to the new arrival who fought with Naruto….and have the same tattoos as Naruto did, she knew that somehow….this person or whatever he was had been able to restrain Naruto and bring her team-mate back to normal was not a threat….if he was then none of them would be alive at this moment….without hesitating, the pink haired ninja stepped out from her hiding place and spoke.

"Hey! Who are you?"

The person turned and without effort his tattoos faded and his glowing eyes returned to normal and he then spoke.

"My name is Fenrix…it's safe now….you all can come out. Your companion Naruto's been restrained by the bracers and is back to normal….all he needs to do now is rest a bit."

The other ninja got out of their hiding places, just as Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, and Hinata arrived on the scene….as they gathered, they looked at the sleeping blonde ninja who a few minutes before was covered in tattoos, unleashing terrifying amounts of pure power and was now able to devastate the landscape and then they directed their attention to Fenrix who kneeled down and checked Naruto's condition with a glowing hand.

"Hmmmm….the blood is now melding with his properly….but the power is still too wild….he will have to keep the bracers on until he adapts properly to his newly awakened bloodline."

Sasuke was shocked by this and so was everyone in the group….Naruto….the class clown, the least skilled ninja of them all, the loudmouth….actually had a bloodline?!

Sasuke then spoke.

"Who are you?"

Fenrix merely observed Naruto and spoke.

"Like I said….Sasuke Uchiha, my name is Fenrix."

"How do you know my name?"

"I know a great deal about you Sasuke and you as well Sakura Haruno, along with everyone here at this moment and time. I know that the two of you who have the white eyes are both cousins with the names Hinata Hyuuga and Neji Hyuuga respectively and you both are members of the Hyuuga Clan who have the special trait known as the Byakugan. I know that you Sasuke are the user of the Sharingan and Sakura is the best in term of chakra control in the team that comprises you, her, and Naruto, I also know that the young man with the puppy on his head is Kiba Inuzuka and the dog's name is Akamaru and both are members of the Inuzuka family, famous for their alliance with canine familiars, both of them are in the same team as young Hinata there and with Shino Aburame who's clan are known for their unique alliance with the Destruction Bugs that inhabit their bodies, I am also aware of Neji's team, comprising of Tenten who is considered to be the best weapons expert in her team, as well as young Rock lee who's unable to perform Ninjutsu and Genjutsu but is a master of Taijutsu. I also know that the one who loves to eat is Chouji Akamichi of the Akamichi Clan who can manipulate their body size easily, the other is Shikamaru Nara who possesses a very high IQ despite his laziness and is a user of Shadow Manipulation, and lastly, the blonde lady is Ino Yamanaka, who's family are known for being able to switch minds with their enemies… I know everything about you all…."

The revelation that he knew all of them and even their bloodline traits made the ninja even more curious as to who he was at this moment. Fenrix however pressed on and gave the ninja a very simple smile that denoted that he knew a lot more than he let on.

"I even know who your respective teachers are as well, and more besides…"

The ninja were very tense at this as Fenrix looked back at Naruto and it was Sakura who spoke.

"Are you a spy or something?"

"No….I know these things because I have been observing this village for some time but without any malice or ill will….you were interesting subjects and people to boot….but my real target was Naruto here….after all….he is going to be my student in the near future."

"What do you mean?"

Fenrix stood up and replied.

"Naruto is the inheritor of an ancient power….older than anything you all can imagine….within him flows the ceremonially consecrated blood of beings more powerful than any who walk the land….Naruto has in his body Dragon King Blood ….and that makes him a truly powerful Dragon Ascendant…just like me."

"What?!"

It was then that Naruto began to wake up….and Fenrix smiled at this…there was much to do at the moment….things had be explained, and more besides, but now that Naruto's body was beginning to adapt and grow stronger with the power flowing in his veins….then the real training will begin.

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To be continued…

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Author's notes:

This is a new project….in the fantasy realm, but also of my own making….

As this is merely the prologue at the moment, there will be a delay in any new chapters that will be coming out, so don't expect this to get that much attention. But this story will be very, very different from Naruto Dragon Champion….which will be updated soon enough.

Have fun!


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto Dragon Ascendant

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Naruto or all media related to said series…

Chapter 1

Explanations…

( ): Thoughts

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Sir Francis Bacon:

"Knowledge is Power."

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In the Forest of Death…

Kiba couldn't help but shake his head a bit as he, Akamaru, Shino, and Hinata moved on to make it to the Tower as they already had their own scrolls to enter the place. The young Inuzuka couldn't help but remember the words spoken by the stranger named Fenrix.

"I can't believe that Naruto has that kind of power….who would have thought he'd have that?"

"It is odd that Naruto never had that power back in the Academy, but my Destruction Bugs panicked greatly when they sensed that power."

"I guess…but how the heck does he have a bloodline, he certainly never showed it back in the Academy."

Hinata was silent for the most part but she couldn't help but wonder what the future was for her long time crush. She hoped that he would be fine and would soon make it to the Tower as he had done so much to make it this far and to not make it would really hurt him. Her thoughts then wandered to the stranger who was there with Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke at the moment but for now….her team had to worry about getting to the Tower.

They were not the only ones as Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji were moving along as well as the team of Lee, Neji, and Tenten….as they made their way to the Tower, they couldn't help but wonder what the future would hold for them as they were getting closer to being Chuunin….while they thought of what will happen when they would meet with Naruto and the members of his team.

Shikamaru had to admit that he had thought that Naruto's team would be easy to deal with even with Sasuke present….now he was happy he didn't push through with that idea….

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Meanwhile….at a clearing…

Naruto looked at the ruins that were once his favorite clothes and was not the least bit happy at the moment and it was understandable as he didn't have any spare clothes to use at the moment and had been given a spare shirt by Fenrix. The young man in question was hauling a pair of massive tigers that appeared to be dead with their necks broken. And the three Genin could only watch with some queasiness how the man methodically skinned the dead animals and began to cook the meat.

Fenrix looked at the three and spoke.

"You three can relax for now, you have had a very busy day and you need to get your strength back as much as you can."

Naruto couldn't help himself and spoke.

"Who are you exactly?"

Fenrix grinned at that and replied.

"I suggest you three get some food in your stomachs before we talk about the past, you'll need the energy for the mission of getting the scroll you need at the moment, and you still have one scroll to keep safe….so I doubt that fighting on an empty stomach is a good idea."

The growling stomachs of all three Genin convinced them that he was right and they dug into the cooking meat, and while they were not big fans of eating tiger meat, the food was at least good to the taste buds and worth eating at the moment. Naruto and Fenrix however were eating like mad as they ate as much food as they could get….surprising both Sasuke and Sakura. The two were finally eating enough meat to feed at least six people and the two could only look on in wonder.

As soon as the two placed aside their plates….both gave explosive burps and Sakura couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the sight.

Fenrix laughed a bit and decided that now was the time to tell Naruto a portion of the information that he carried.

"Now you are wondering who I really, then I will tell you…..you three already know my name, and what I am, at least at first. So therefore, I will explain as best I can. On what I am, I was once human, like the three of you, but I underwent a ceremony that granted me the power and ability of a Dragon….it was known as the Blood Ascension Ceremony, this ceremony is ancient….older than anything that exist and has not been practiced in nearly nine millennia."

Naruto scratched his head at that and asked.

"What's milleni….?"

"Millennia….a millennia is a number of years, namely a thousand….so this special ceremony has not been done in nearly that long, five thousand years. The Dragon race was the first and the only race to have this powerful ritual. This ritual was made by the Dragons to pass their powers onto other beings, namely humans. Long ago, when humans were still starting in the building of their civilization, Dragons took notice of them and were interested in humanity….they saw that while humans were a short lived race, and could die easily, they had great potential and drive and the Dragon race decided to give their powers to humans….these humans became the Dragon Ascendants like myself."

Sasuke listened as he couldn't help but wonder just what was going on, and how exactly did Naruto fit in all this. Sakura was the one who asked the question.

"How does Naruto fit in all this?"

"In due time Sakura Haruno….The Dragon Ascendants rose in power and they used their powers in many ways, some used their powers for the betterment of their people, while others did it for their own desires and for destruction, this made Dragons realize that humans were capable of great good and great evil in equal measure. Over the years that passed, the humans who gained the powers of the Blood Ascension Ceremony were able to forge vast civilizations and cultures, but as time passed, later generations of humans believed that they could become even more powerful than the Dragon race by killing them and forcing them to give them the secrets of the Blood Ascension Ceremony so they would be truly invincible."

"They attacked the Dragons?"

"Yes….their efforts were clumsy and foolish….even the Ascendants who were tempted with the idea of surpassing their former benefactors were easily defeated by the older and wiser Dragons and their leaders…the Dragon Kings, as well as the Ascendants who were against the whole idea. However, this signaled to the Dragon Race that they had to leave humanity to their fates and carve their own future without interference. Thus was the beginning of the Dragon race from the world of men, as well as the other races in their charge who were willing to follow them….even a large number of Ascendants decided to leave the world with their Dragon benefactors…."

Sasuke was getting a bit impatient, he wanted to know just how Naruto got a bloodline that he had never heard of before.

"Just how does Naruto fit in all this? We don't need the history lessons!"

Fenrix gave a dark glare at Sasuke that was enough to silence the Uchiha as the eyes of the Dragon Ascendant took their glowing green hue….this made Naruto and Sakura nervous as they had no idea how the situation will turn out. Fenrix then spoke seriously and showed his displeasure for Sasuke's actions.

"If you are so curious to know how your team-mate fits in all this, then I hate to disappoint you Sasuke Uchiha but you will have to wait…all things will be explained in due time and NOT before! So hold your tongue and listen first….your world's history is tied to this story as well so do me, your team-mates, and yourself a good favor and be silent!!!"

Sasuke would have normally ignored the warning….but something about the change in Fenrix' demeanor told the Uchiha that he was treading on dangerous ground…and so he nodded as he held his tongue.

Fenrix relaxed and took a deep breath to relax his own thoughts and continued to speak.

"The Dragon Ascendants who were left behind thought that their already existing power was all they needed….but they were partially wrong in that assumption, since while they retained their powers, those powers were not able to be properly unlocked to their full potential after succeeding generations….over time, the powers they once possessed eventually lost a great deal of it's original power and potency and without the teachings of the Dragon Race, as well as their knowledge, the powers were either heavily degraded or were eventually left to die and never return into the world of men….not all the powers however faded and still existed and became bloodline inheritances….in the language of your world is Kekkai Genkai I believe."

Sasuke was shocked to hear this and Fenrix spoke to Sasuke directly.

"Now do you understand what I meant about your world's history being tied to what I was telling about the Dragon Race and the Blood Ascension Ceremony?"

"Are…Are you saying that…."

"Yes…this world, your world, thousands of years ago was part of the many worlds inhabited by Dragons and they too passed their powers to the humans who lived here….your ancient ancestors were also Dragon Ascendants, and like before….attempted to wrestle the power away from the Dragon Race, forcing their benefactors to leave….and those Ascendants began to lose the full potency of their powers, but their powers did not die out quickly like the others and their bloodlines were not destroyed…despite being degraded."

"What this means is that your Sharingan….in fact….ALL the known and still to be seen Kekkai Genkai of this world….are actually the degraded remains of the old Dragon Ascendant blood that existed thousands of years ago."

Sasuke was stunned by this and he couldn't help but feel angry…at the thought that his Clan's most respected Kekkai Genkai was being seen as a degraded form of power. His people had become legends with the Sharingan and he would not allow that fact to be downplayed by this stranger!!!

"You're calling the Sharingan of my Clan to be nothing but a watered down and weak power?!"

Fenrix was NOT intimidated by Sasuke's words and replied.

"I am not insulting it….I am merely stating what I know and what I have learned."

"You're lying!!!"

"Why would I lie? What would I possibly gain by it? And do not think to attack me out of revenge or anger Sasuke….I might not look like it….but what you have witnessed before is merely a tiny fraction of my true power, I am already one thousand and five hundred years old by human standards and years…and I am far more powerful and skilled than Naruto despite his status as a Dragon Ascendant like me. I have more power and ability than you could ever hope to accomplish in your lifetime, so if you decide to fight me….know that I can easily crush you like an annoying insect….so I suggest you calm down and keep in mind that I have no interest in you as an enemy for that matter. So don't waste either my time or yours, for both our sakes."

Naruto was getting even more confused.

"Wait a minute here! When did I ever become a Dragon Ascendant?!?! I don't recall ever taking part in this Ceremony or even meeting a Dragon….so how the heck can I be an Ascendant?"

Sakura nodded at that as she wanted to know even more on this mystery.

"I have to agree with Naruto….if what you said was true, then there have been no Dragons in our world for nearly ten thousand years….and if the Blood Ascension Ceremony has not been done for that long, how could Naruto become an Ascendant if there are no Dragons in our world and they are the only ones who can make the Ceremony work?

Fenrix smiled.

"Finally you are asking the right questions. Tell me something Naruto; have you ever met a man by the name of Valen in your younger years?"

Naruto thought back as the name was very familiar to him and as he thought hard….it was not long before he recalled the foreigner who had become his friend for a number of months before he had left on his birthday all those years ago.

"Yeah….I remember someone with that name….he was so cool, I remember him scarring a number of villagers with that cool fire serpent jutsu that used no hand seals….it was awesome, I asked him to teach it to me, but he said he couldn't. Do you know him?"

Fenrix nodded.

"Yes I do….Valen was my Master…and a Dragon King….one of the five rulers of the Dragon Race."

No one was more shocked than Naruto himself.

"No way….Valen was a DRAGON?! But he didn't LOOK the least like a Dragon!!! He was…"

"Human? Dragons have many powers, one of which was the ability to take a human appearance, unlike Ascendants who were humans to begin with and thus can take a Dragon like appearance once their powers and bodies had fully matured and at their highest levels of power. He was able to begin the Blood Ascension Ceremony and bestowed his consecrated blood to you on your birthday….when you last saw him. Do you remember the cup that he handed to you during your birthday?"

Naruto recalled that and he was shocked even more.

"I….drank HIS blood?!"

"Yes….and it was already consecrated thus you were able to receive it's power in full form and that makes you the very first Dragon Ascendant to walk this world. However, the reason your powers awakened late in your life was that due to certain, circumstances, your Dragon Blood was sealed away in your body and it was only now that it awakened."

Fenrix sighed and thought back on the other Dragon Ascendants who woke late to their powers for different reasons and what were the results of that. Naruto then looked at the bracers that were on his hands and Fenrix noted that and spoke.

"Those bracers are specially crafted and enchanted, when you awakened to your Dragon Blood, you were not yet mentally and spiritually strong enough to control your power and your Dragon King bloodline which resulted in you becoming a berserker and you attacked others who you saw….if I had not stepped in, you might have turned on your friends."

"What?! Why couldn't I remember this?"

"You're human mind had not adapted well to the power and you regressed into a more bestial state, and do not think you are the first, there have been others who were late in awakening to their hidden powers and their bloodlines, and they had to wear these bracers which were placed on them by their mentors. These are not meant to be permanent however, once you have developed the mental and spiritual strength, the bracers will no longer restrain your powers, they will eventually unlock themselves and you can remove them, but until you develop the control and focus needed, then they remain with you."

He then looked at Sasuke who was still fuming mad and replied towards Naruto and Sasuke..

"Also….since this is your first time using a bloodline such as this Naruto, you will have to start from scratch. Unlike the Sharingan which has been handed down from generation to generation among the Uchiha Clan, your power is still in it's infancy and is not yet fully grown…in Dragon terms, you're still very much a hatchling and thus, your powers will need to be refined and perfected."

"So I have to learn how to use this power properly?"

"Correct, that is why Master Valen sent me to be your guardian and teacher in the ways of the Dragon Ascendants. Another thing that I can tell you is that as a Dragon Ascendant, you can also undertake the Blood Ascension Ceremony in order to pass a portion of your already existing power to another individual, to make him a Dragon Ascendant as well…."

That got Sasuke's attention right off the bat as he looked at both Naruto and Fenrix

"However, this is something that is not to be taken lightly, you have to grow in power, knowledge, skill, and more before you can do so, if you attempt to do the Blood Ascension Ceremony without the proper training, maturity in body, mind, spirit and experience, plus without the fully mature powers, the results could be disastrous….for both you and that one you wish to pass your powers to."

"How disastrous would it be?"

Sasuke asked, and Fenrix simply replied.

"You both can either suffer intense pain both physically and mentally as well as crippling yourselves and being reduced into invalids….or if things go really wrong…then the both of you will die."

The silence was deafening at that and as soon as the reality set in, Fenrix then decided that now was the time to explain to Naruto some of the basic powers that he possessed at the moment due to his Dragon Blood.

"However, even with the bracers on, you are already unleashing signs of your powers, at least not totally visible ones….hand me a kunai."

Naruto and the others looked at one another and were very hesitant, but Sakura handed Fenrix one and he took the weapon and spoke to Naruto.

"Naruto….give me your arm."

Naruto did so and before he could blink….Fenrix grabbed his arms and stabbed him with the kunai, the ninjas panicked and quickly drew weapons while Naruto was released and Fenrix laughed as he showed them the kunai….which was broken and several of it's blade was actually shattered at the moment on the ground. The others were surprised by this and Naruto looked at his arm…and saw that there was not a single drop of blood, not even a scratch.

"How?!"

"That Naruto is but the very first sign of your body adapting to the power that now flows in your veins….you might not see it, but there are tiny, and near invisible scales that are melding with your skin at the moment. That is Dragon Skin and it is a basic power that all Dragon Ascendants are given as they adapt to their powers….as you can see….this power is able to make your skin similar to Dragon skin which is a lot tougher than normal skin, and can withstand blades and powerful forms of physical and magical attacks."

Naruto was looking at his uninjured arm and was smiling a bit as the ramifications began to set into his mind at the moment.

"So I am, invincible?"

"Not exactly, while the Dragon Skin may make you stronger and tougher, you are not immortal or unstoppable….the ability makes you much harder to injure but specially made blades with enchantments and the attacks of those who have very high levels of physical and spiritual strength can still injure you, but if anyone attempts to attack you will multiple blades and attacks, then you cannot be harmed. This power is different since as humans, Ascendants do not lose their sense of touch like Dragons do."

"Huh?"

"Normal Dragon scales grow on Dragons every time and when that happens, they slowly lose their sense of touch, so they sacrifice their sense of touch for the added defense, Ascendants will had that toughness but not in the same degree as that of Dragons themselves and as such, don't lose their sense of touch, do you get the idea?"

Naruto nodded at that and he was even more curious about what other abilities he had under his command at the moment.

"What else do I have?"

"You have the basic senses of a Dragon, increased sight range, smell, hearing, taste, and touch….physically, you have increased strength though at the moment that is controlled by the bracers as well as increased speed and stamina, you will develop also a Dragon's immunity to illusions over time, as well as their resistance to various elements, toxins, and weakness."

"Will I even grow wings?"

"Eventually you will and they will be in the form of energy, but at the moment you have no wings at the moment, those take time to grow properly and also to control. You certainly don't need those wings to suddenly sprout out in the middle of a busy street you know. Anyway….here's one power you might find useful when the time comes…do you see that tree over there?"

Naruto turned in the direction that Fenrix was pointing and nodded.

"Good….now then….imagine your breath in your lungs becoming as hot and as intense as fire and then unleash your breath at that tree."

Naruto did so and to his shock and that of the others….his breath DID become flame as a massive tongue of fire was unleashed from his mouth at that exact moment of action….and the tree was easily incinerated in a matter of moments by the sudden unleashing of flame on it. All that was left of the once massive tree was a pile of pure ash.

Naruto clasped his mouth in shock as he looked at the large tree that he had just reduced into nothing but ash in merely a moment. As soon as he was feeling a bit calmer, he turned to speak to Fenrix who watched in approval….while Sasuke and Sakura were looking on with great surprise and as soon as he was able to recover from the sight, he spoke to Fenrix.

"Did I….did I just….breath fire?!"

"Yes you did….fire breathing is very normal for Dragons and it's child's play for Ascendants….and unlike the Fire based jutsus done by Ninja….what you did is a very basic and simplistic technique and as you can see….it does not rely on hand seals. There are other breath techniques that you can use, but those will come in time. For now however, I suggest we get moving….this cooking fire will no doubt attract all manner of predators and other ninja, and while we can handle them well enough….now is not the time and you three need to find another team to get their scroll am I correct?"

As they moved out, Kabuto made his appearance and while the Genin who had taken the Exam seven times was surprised to meet the Dragon Ascendant, he couldn't do much at the moment as Fenrix had no intention of leaving his charge alone for the time being. However, Fenrix did not trust Kabuto despite his pilot demeanor and manners, as he could tell due to his long years of experience, this seemingly kind person had a much darker personality and had an ulterior motive….he watched as Kabuto observed both Sasuke and Naruto and that was the thing that made the Ascendant very wary at the moment.

Naruto was eager to tell Kabuto about his new powers but Fenrix gave him a very serious look, and despite being confused as to why his teacher in the art of the Dragon Ascendants was giving him that look, he knew that he should not reveal anything yet about his powers and thus he kepot his trap shut.

They were able to track a Genin team from the village of Hidden Waterfall and managed to get their scroll and they were able to make it to the tower and as soon as they got there….Naruto and others were able to get the scrolls open and in walked through the scrolls, none other than Iruka, who despite being surprised by the presence of Fenrix who had joined the trio had told them that they passed and secret behind the two scrolls and the next parts of the Chuunin Exams. However, Fenrix had other ideas as he spoke to Iruka.

"I need to speak to the Hokage if at all possible."

"Why do you want to see the Hokage? And who are you?"

"Tell him that Valen's old student is here to see him."

Iruka remembered Valen very easily and could see that this man had the same level of manners as Naruto's old foreign friend had at the moment. However, like before, he couldn't; help but feel that this guy had a hidden power, the same way Valen did, but if he was Valens's student, then he was all right in his book.

It did not take long for the Hokage to arrive and Fenrix bowed before him and spoke.

"Greetings Hiruzen Sarutobi….you are exactly as my master Valen described."

The Hokage nodded and looked at Naruto and like before when he sensed a fraction of Valen's powers, he sensed the same at the moment in Naruto and knew that now was the time for the truth to come out. However, there was the fact that Valen's plans for Naruto had to be put into motion and while Naruto had no idea what his foreign Dragon King friend had done for him, the Hokage had no doubt that things were going to be very interesting.

With that in mind, he asked Iruka to guide Sasuke and Sakura to the main area where the other Genin teams were at the moment. Naruto and Fenrix however were brought to another place in the Tower and sure enough, as soon as they entered the room, there were the Council members of Konoha.

As Sarutobi sat down….he knew that this day was by far going to be the longest he would ever be in at the moment….he wondered just what would happen if Orochimaru found out about Naruto's unique bloodline. He thought back on the day he discovered just who Valen was.

--------

Flashback…

Sarutobi was surprised to see himself not in the Hokage Tower but in a massive field filled with grass and flowers, there were clear skies and clouds all over the place….it was a beautiful sight at the moment and it was then that he saw Valen….but the human disappeared and then was replaced a by a massive reptilian creature with wings and a long tail….his scales were deep platinum in color and there were number of large gems that were on his body and a crown like protrusion of pure crystal on the head of the massive creature that moved back… and his wings were releasing some sort of wispy light that were of many colors like the rainbow.

"What in the name of the Kami?!"

"Calm yourself Hiruzen Sarutobi…I am in my real form….that of a Dragon King."

"Valen?! Is that really you?"

"That it is….you are in my mind Hiruzen Sarutobi….and you are seeing me in my true form. I have never revealed this form to other humans in nearly nine thousand years. You are the first mortal in your world's history to see me in my full might. The human form I take not only allows me to blend among humans and other mortals, but submerges my full powers."

The Hokage was stunned and wondered how to act….long ago, when he was a child, he had been told ancient tales about Dragons, and he was truly fascinated by the old legends, about how Dragons would bestow great powers on humans and how these powers became legend….but he never truly believed them….but here he was now….in the mind of a Dragon and it was talking to him.

"Relax young one…you might be old by human standards….but to me and my race….you are still very young. Now come….sit and I shall tell you of some truly amazing tales that I doubt even the greatest of your village had ever known….and what is my reason for being here."

--------

End of Flashback…

As he thought back on those things and Valen's desire to aid Naruto, he couldn't help but look at the young boy. He had been told that Valen had every intention to give Naruto a true power…older than anything that existed….the very origin of all the Kekkai Genkai of this world. The power of the Dragon Race. It was something he thought he would ever have the honor of seeing, but he worried about how the Council would react act to this news at the moment. However, Valen had planned ahead and even the Professor had to admit that it was pure genius…and beneficial to the village at the same time.

Valen had also told him about his chosen teacher for Naruto in the ways of the Dragon Ascendants…and Fenrix proved to be everything his master told him about.

As they sat back, a number of people gave curious looks to Fenrix and hostile ones to Naruto, the Hokage sighed at that, but he could tell that Fenrix was glaring back and he couldn't help but be slightly amused at the sight of the Council members being cowed a bit by the glare the older, wiser, and more powerful and skilled Dragon Ascendant.

Homura, his old team-mate was the very first to speak.

"We are here as you asked Hokage-sama….what is this about?"

"This discussion is twofold….recently we have learned that Orochimaru had returned to the village and has already begun to make his move on our homeland, there is no doubt in my mind that he is planning something sinister on our village."

The Council were deep in discussion the very moment Orochimaru's name was brought up and it was then that Anko arrived and gave her report on what was discovered when they found the real Grass Ninja who were all dead, and also what Orochimaru told her. The news that Sasuke Uchiha was the target of Orochimaru caused considerable concern from the Council.

They knew the power of the Sharingan and if Orochimaru had interest in it, then they would have be ready for anything at the moment, as they planned out a strategy, it was then that one Council member spoke to the rest.

"Hokage-sama….why is Naruto Uzumaki here in this chamber?"

The Hokage nodded and knew that now was the time to drop the news of Naruto's newly awakened bloodline to the Konoha Council….in fact, he couldn't help but admit mentally to himself that he was going to enjoy this.

"This has something to do with an incident no less than five years ago…"

The Hokage then told the Council about the arrival of Valen to the village and what he had learned from the disguised Dragon King, namely on the Blood Ascension Ceremony. The Council were silent and none of the asked any questions. But many of them were directing their attention to Naruto and were studying him….trying to determine just how could this child who carried the Kyuubi could have such a bloodline.

As soon as Sarutobi was done, he spoke to Fenrix as he had been told by Valen that since his student was the same as Naruto but older, more experienced, and wiser he would know far more and he would truly give the Council a LOT to think about at the moment.

And true enough….when Fenrix told the Council what he had told Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura about the Blood Ascension Ceremony and the history of their own world thousands of years ago….there was an uproar. The Council members were looking at Naruto incredulously and were talking back and forth….this knowledge shocked the very Council to their knees and it had taken a few minutes for the knowledge to sink in and take hold of the people.

To think that this….kid had a Kekkai Genkai that was the progenitor of ALL the known Kekkai Genkai….was in one word…astonishing.

Sarutobi took this all in stride and then removed a special document that he had made and waited to put into action for nearly five long years….this was going to elevate Naruto to a whole new level…befitting the powers he had now been awakened to.

"I have been planning to deal with this for some time, and therefore….considering that Naruto is the sole owner of this Kekkai Genkai and is a citizen of the village of Konoha….it is by law that as a user of a Kekkai Genkai, Naruto is to become the head of his own clan, that will take his last name…as of today, Naruto Uzumaki is now head of the Uzumaki Clan."

Naruto was stunned by this as well as overjoyed….in just one day, he had gone from a simple Genin with a dark secret to the head of his own clan and wielding a Kekkai Genkai that was now recognized as the Progenitor of ALL the Kekkai Genkai in existence

Homura and Koharu were very much in shock as well as just about everyone in the Council and it took a few minutes for Homura to speak.

"We need proof to see if this is all true."

Fenrix nodded and replied.

"Fair enough."

As the Council was ended with Naruto swearing not to reveal anything to his team and also to prepare for the soon to come announcement of his being head of his own clan. Fenrix and Naruto went back to the other Genin, with the Hokage planning to speak to Kakashi in secret soon about all that was happening in the shadows, Fenrix then spoke to him in secret.

"Naruto….I will allow you to use your powers in this fight, once you start the fight you will be part of, summon your Dragon King Blood and when you feel it's powers come….say the words, Dragon King Blood… Release…and think of an elemental form."

"How will that work?"

"You'll see."

--------

As Naruto arrived, the others were surprised that he finally arrived and the Hokage then told them the true purpose of the exams and what was about to happen. Sasuke himself was eager to get things going. But apart from wanting to fight both Gaara and even Neji Hyuuga, he had developed the desire to fight Naruto himself….he was not going to let this new Kekkai Genkai beat the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan despite the fact that Naruto's Kekkai Genkai was supposed to the pure version and much more powerful than the Sharingan and the ancestor of the Sharingan.

He would not let the Sharingan…the pride and honor of the Uchiha be overshadowed by anything….even this Dragon King Bloodline.

The thought of using the Sharingan to beat Naruto had made the seal react and he held his shoulder in pain once more.

Sakura saw that and couldn't help but feel even more concerned by what was happening, she had seen and heard Orochimaru's dire warning and plans to take Sasuke and she couldn't help but feel even more afraid of what might happen if Orochimaru….she was not the only one however in that train of thought.

Sarutobi, Ibiki, Kakashi and Anko watched the situation and they each had their own thoughts on the matter.

The elderly Hokage wondered if he was making the wrong move, but focused himself on the here and now since if he tried to do something that could alert his former student of their plans, then things would be in even greater danger, for now, they had to play along that they were just becoming aware of the situation and keep Orochimaru in the dark about their covert plans. He didn't know where Orochimaru was right now…but there was no doubt that he would very well be watching…and he might be in the very same room as they all were. Naruto told them that Orochimaru had sent the Sound Genin as an assassination team for Sasuke…, so that would mean that he could be in league with Sound or had manipulated them to fight for him. He didn't have enough data to make a move and it was a very risky game he was playing…but it was the only option they had right now.

Anko hoped that the others would see reason and have Sasuke placed in isolation so they could keep the Cursed Seal under wraps…but she reigned in her thoughts and tried to think it over…the Council made it clear that even if they were successful in keeping him sealed up…Orochimaru would no doubt act quickly and would kill as many people as he wants to force them to show how he would react to them trying to deny him his gift…she had a feeling that there would be more involved with Orochimaru's return to Konoha, she knew enough about her former sensei that he always had other plans buried in his current ones.

Ibiki hated to admit it, but he knew how dangerous Orochimaru was…even when he was the leader of the ANBU Interrogation Squad…he was afraid of Orochimaru…even when he was still a child…the snake summoning boy with snake like eyes and pale white skin seemed more monster than human to the battle hardened Special Jonin and the horrible things that Orochimaru did for the sake of power and knowledge further reinforced his inner fear of Orochimaru. He knew that Orochimaru would not hesitate in any way to get what he wanted, and would any method…not only was he known as a highly skilled ninja, but also as a master manipulator. He had no doubts in his mind that Orochimaru would have plans to help him as well.

Kakashi was told about the Cursed Seal and heard Anko's words and how he defended the Sasuke and how Anko reacted.

He actually understood Anko's anger and how she would look at Sasuke with worry and mistrust. He knew Anko had once been Orochimaru's student years ago when she was young, no doubt around Naruto's own age or younger. She had grown to hate and despise Orochimaru for his evil ways and while she did have something of a dark streak in her nature…she was not evil in the full sense and she had learned a number of useful jutsu. Like all others who knew her, he knew about Cursed Seal that she herself had, and while he told them the truth about Sasuke, he kept in mind that out the other children subjected by Orochimaru to the Cursed Seal before Sasuke was given that Cursed Seal…Anko was known to be only among the VERY few survivors of the Cursed Seal as many like her died in great pain from the Cursed Seal…so she would know how deadly it was. He wondered if he should be ready to make his move, but for now he knew that he had to keep the binding technique ready should the Cursed Seal become too much.

Sakura was about to raise her hand when Sasuke stopped her with a glare and spoke in a tone that demanded answers.

"What are you doing Sakura?!"

"Sasuke…you have to forfeit the matches for now!"

"Why the heck should I?!"

"Do you think I'm blind to how you're suffering from the effects of the Cursed Seal?! You can barely use either you're chakra or you're Sharingan without that thing coming to life and injuring you even further! You can't hope to survive any fight with that thing eating you from the inside…please…I am begging you as a friend and team-mate…to please forfeit not for our sake…but your own."

Sasuke however didn't listen as he thought back on his oath be stronger, to gain more power and more ability to finally accomplish his long dream of avenging his clan and killing the one responsible for the murder of all of his family by one of their own…his own…

He then thought about his dream…and what and who he was…he was no longer just a man…but an avenger…a being who sought power and would seek out that power…regardless of it's source, be it kind or evil. He wanted to show that he was strong and he wielded power…power to defeat all who faced him and the only way to gain it was to fight the strongest…and all of them were here, in this very Tower…he could not afford to back down from this…lee, Dosu, Gaara, Neji…and Naruto were here in this room…if he backed down now…he would never get another chance like this…and he was NOT going to be denied this chance.

He would prove the power of the Sharingan for all to see…especially Fenrix and his student Naruto…

----------

The three Genin however turned when someone spoke out.

"Okay…you got me, I'm out of this part."

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke turned to see Kabuto raising his hand…and that made Sasuke very wary of the Leaf Genin who was now leaving the scene. Holy Talon thought likewise and wondered just what was Kabuto up to…from what it could sense, the Genin had more than enough chakra and physical strength to be in this match…why was he backing out?

Naruto was also curious and spoke.

"Hey Kabuto-san…why are you leaving?!"

Kabuto turned and smiled a bit and replied.

"I'm sorry Naruto…but I had a heck of a hard time getting the scroll from the other team I fought with…and they really drained me and even if we made it here now…I'm still somewhat beat up…but I know you can do well…I know I'll miss it…but…hey don't worry about me, do you're best all right."

Naruto looked sad but smiled and gave Kabuto a thumbs up signal.

"I will!"

Kabuto smiled back and gave the same reply as he left the area.

However…he didn't get away scot-free…

Sarutobi looked at the leaving form of Kabuto and recalled something, this was NOT the very first time he had seen this young man, and neither was this the first time he had seen the man leave the Chuunin Exams at THIS stage…at first, he had allowed it as there was truth to his claims…but now that this was the seventh time he had done this act, he was got suspicious.

He turned to Anko and Ibiki as well and they were able to find out just who he was…namely his name of Kabuto Yakushi and his times in the Academy and in the missions he had undertaken…and the times he had taken the Chuunin Exams…his grades were average and he was not really much of a special case, however Anko revealed that he was the child who was found among the enemy dead during a battle in Konoha's history years before…the Battle of Kikyou Pass by one of the Konoha Medic Squads, and was taken in. And that boy grew up here, learning medical jutsus and had a very unremarkable career, that boy was Kabuto himself.

As soon as Sarutobi got the details…he looked at Kabuto and thought to himself aloud.

"What sort of game is that young man playing with us?"

He wasn't the only one as, Kabuto was stopped by Yoroi…his fellow team mate…and spy of Orochimaru. The two exchanged a hushed conversation with Yoroi warning Kabuto about his playing games and keeping his loyalty to Orochimaru…to which Kabuto replied back that he doesn't have to worry and to which Yoroi replied that while he was Orochimaru's favorite, he was certainly going beyond his bounds, Kabuto replied that he knew about Yoroi's desire to take his place and now was his chance…with that Kabuto bid farewell to both Naruto and Sasuke.

(Sorry I couldn't stay and fight, but if I did, the old me would have come back…I will be watching though, I hope you do well Sasuke-kun…and you too Naruto-kun.)

(Besides…if I fought here and now…I would be revealed as a spy…and I wouldn't want that, the rest I leave to you and you're capable hands Orochimaru-sama.)

The Sound Jonin looked on but a thin smile appeared as Kabuto left the room, leaving the others to wonder on what they would do…however Sasuke made up his mind already…as Sakura tried to raise her hand once more, he stopped her and replied.

"Sakura…this is my path! I chose it for myself…you have no right to tell me what I should do!"

"I am you're team-mate and friend Sasuke-kun and I can't just stand by and let that thing eat you alive!"

"If you are truly my friend and team-mate Sakura…then let me fight! This Chuunin Exam is more than an exam for me! I don't care much about the title of Chuunin, I am an avenger, nothing more, I have something to do no matter what, and I can't have myself stopped by anyone…not even you. All the strongest ninja are here and now…if I don't fight them here and now, then how can I see how strong I have become? I have to become strong no matter what, I won't let anything stop me…and that is what I want…and you have no right to stop me."

Sakura looked on sadly unable to say anything as she tried her best to reason with her team-mate, Naruto however was far from happy with Sasuke's behavior towards Sakura, and he was not going to let Sasuke's attitude get the better of him,

"Sasuke-teme, you have to listen for once…stop acting so cool and focus on the truth, that damned seal's…"

Sasuke then turned and gave a challenging look to Naruto.

"Naruto…you ought to know that you're one of the people I want to fight."

That made Naruto glare back and wonder just what was going on in the mind of Sasuke…but they had no time to think about that as Hayate got the Chuunin exams underway. He then showed them the screen nearby that would take the names of the Genin present and pair them in one on one combat. Also since there were 23 of them, then it would be a series of eleven matches to start the preliminaries. It didn't take long for the first match to begin and much to Naruto and Sakura's dismay…

It was Sasuke Uchiha against Yoroi Akadou…

Sakura was stunned, while Sasuke smiled, Naruto gave a shake of his head, while Lee, Dosu, Neji, and Gaara decided to take a good long look at Sasuke and see just how he gets out of this one.

As soon as that was announced, the Genin and their Jonin sensei made their way to the upper terraces to watch the match and to stay away from the fight itself.

"I won't have this fight any other way."

Gekkou then spoke.

"All right, the names called forward please come forward."

The Chuunin Proctor then faced the men and asked them if they had any objections to the match-up between them and they replied that they had none, while Orochimaru in his Sound Jonin disguise smiled and watched on to see how this situation will play itself out.

Sasuke then spoke to Yoroi.

"You are going to be in for the fight of you're life with me."

"Heh…bring it on Sasuke Uchiha."

Yoroi said with a smile, which was naturally hidden by his veil as he looked at Sasuke…who looked back with a smirk. Naruto and Sakura looked on and wondered how things would turn out, while the others were looking with interest.

Sasuke kept his cool, but held his shoulder in pain as the Cursed Seal once more reacted with his chakra. Hayate saw this and then gave the announcement that those who were not called were to leave and head for the upper levels for the match grounds to be clear of bystanders.

As they got ready Kakashi came by and was greeted with great enthusiasm by Naruto and the Jonin spoke directly to Sasuke.

"You have to be careful not to use you're Sharingan, Sasuke… if that mark activates then you're life will be on a thin edge."

"So you know about the Seal?"

"Yes…and what it does to those who are infected with it, and just so you know… if this fight gets beyond your ability to handle, then I will stop the fight personally."

Sasuke turned and was outraged by Kakashi's words to him and it made him even more unhappy to know that there was some truth to Kakashi's words, if he used the Sharingan, he would be vulnerable when the Cursed Seal activated itself and allow his foe to beat him senseless. But he knew that it responded to his chakra quite often.

(If I use my chakra, it grows stronger and it's grip…and Orochimaru's grip on me grows stronger, I have to beat Yoroi without my Sharingan and my clan's jutsus are off limits as well…maybe I can make him laugh to death instead.)

Orochimaru however was going to enjoy this fight.

(You are going in for a good test Sasuke-kun, Yoroi's unique talents should be a real challenge…I want to see if you can overcome it.)

Sasuke sighed mentally and psyched himself up and got ready nevertheless. The other teams got ready to watch as Kakashi hoped that Sasuke didn't overdo it and get himself in a real mess. As soon as Gekkou gave the signal, both ninja went to work, as Yoroi threw some shuriken and Sasuke fired some kunai, but Sasuke was stunned to the ground when the Cursed Seal awakened…nearly leaving him open to attack as Yoroi closed the gap, Sasuke quickly used his remaining strength to moved out of the way of Yoroi's fist.

He then used the Kunai he had to get a grip on the floor and used his legs to kick Yoroi down to the ground and then with several restraining moves managed to knock Yoroi to the ground and opted to try and make Yoroi fall to submission.

"He got him!"

Naruto cheered, but Yoroi merely grinned and replied.

"Really now? Who's got who I wonder?"

His hand glowed once more as he activated his own chakra and then grabbed Sasuke and much to Sasuke's shock and disbelief…his chakra was being…taken from his body.

(What the hell is happening?!)

Yoroi then stuck hard, loosening Sasuke's grip and then forced his way through and much to the shock of everyone in the room, except Orochimaru who smiled sadistically as the spy from the Sound Village leaped back and as Sasuke managed to get off the floor, the ninja then used his glowing hand once more and began to drain Sasuke's chakra…making Sasuke lose his power.

Kakashi and the others looked on in surprise and disbelief as the Uchiha survivor was being placed in a deadly situation.

"My…my chakra…what the hell are you…doing to my chakra?!"

"What…you're just noticing it now?"

Yoroi replied as he laughed and continued his actions on the still weakened and disoriented Sasuke who couldn't muster enough strength to break free just yet.

Orochimaru noted and wondered how Sasuke would be able to handle this mess, Yoroi was indeed given such a unique talent, he could absorb the chakra of his foes with only a touch of his hand, quite a unique and deadly talent in the right hands and in the right circumstances, and this would make things even more difficult for Sasuke.

(As soon as Yoroi takes you're precious chakra Sasuke-kun…you will have no other choice but to rely on my little gift to you…and we shall see how you do. Release that forbidden power…it will save you after all…you have no choice in this matter.)

Sasuke managed to gather enough strength to kick Yoroi away from him, but he knew now that close combat with this guy was a serious mistake, if he got grabbed like that again…he was finished, but he was too weakened by the first two attacks that using either Kunai or shuriken were a bad idea, and even if he could do it, the Cursed Seal would hurt even more. Yoroi however was not going to stop as he lashed out at Sasuke and the Uchiha ninja tried to evade and managed to avoid some of the blows, but he got hit by the hand in the hair…however instead of being a miss, the chakra absorbing technique affected him quickly…forcing him to lose even more of his strength…but he had enough to tolerate Yoroi's taunts and get some distance.

"Sasuke-kun!!!!"

"Damn it! What the heck is wrong with you?!?! Think of something fast or you're history Sasuke!!!!"

Sasuke admitted that Naruto had a point and then he realized that he had one chance…part of it wasn't original, but heck…as things were at this moment…it was better than nothing. He waited and then made his move…managing to avoid Yoroi's next strike he then attacked with a move that everyone recognized…including a duo of ninjas with the same hair-style, the same suits, and the same bushy brows.

(Wait! That's my move!!)

Lee said as he saw Sasuke use the same kick that he had used on him before during that test fight. He couldn't believe that Sasuke was using that move as well.

(What the?)

Gai thought as Sasuke leaped after Yoroi. As soon as they were in mid air and Sasuke was behind Yoroi, he confessed something to the Hidden Sound Spy.

"All right…I'll admit I borrowed this move…but from this point on, the rest is my own creation."

With that, Yoroi only commented the first part of the move as Sasuke began to take his shot at taking out Yoroi…but before he could accomplish it, the Cursed Seal once more activated and he was bathed in pain as the flame patterns once more began to spread all over his body as he now felt it's presence begin to fill his body and mind.

(Damn it all…not now!!!)

"Sasuke-kun!!!!"

"Crap!!! Sasuke…you had better not lose here and now of all things!!! You said you and I will be fighting soon when the Preliminaries are over!!!! Don't you dare go back on your word to me now!!!"

Sasuke looked at saw Sakura with her eyes in tears and her face in worry and fear, while Naruto was seriously tense and not wanting him to just give up and lose now. He was not going to be beaten here, he had much to live up to and his two goals in life would be even further out of his reach if he lost here and now…

(Damn! I won't lose I will win and I will do it on my own power!!!!)

With that, he focused his will and strength of mind into it and managed to beat back the seal and force it to subside…much to the shock of the people who knew about it…namely Kakashi, Anko, Sarutobi and naturally Orochimaru himself as Sasuke used several attacks to take Yoroi out of the match and finished the attack with a powerful heel kick known as the Lion's Barrage.

The two ninja were out of it, but Sasuke was able to get off his back and was sitting down with exhaustion and Hayate declared Sasuke the winner and that was Kakashi's cue to make his move after trading some words with Gai…. as Yoroi was taken away by the medics for treatment and one of the medics tried to approach Sasuke, but Kakashi interceded. The Jonin told Sasuke that the Cursed Seal had to be contained and now was a good a time as any for it to be done. Sasuke naturally was not happy with the fact that he was going to be missing out on the rest of the competition, but Kakashi was not backing down and Sasuke had no choice as he was followed by Kakashi.

Orochimaru smiled and was excited at what he had seen while Anko and the others who were aware of the effects of the Cursed Seal were impressed that Sasuke was able to resist the call of the Cursed Seal to use its power. Orochimaru however decided to leave the scene and see just what Kakashi was having in mind. However Dosu did not like this…he had a feeling that there was to what was going on and he wondered what was going to happen next. However he decided to see just what would be the outcome of the other matches…he had nothing left to take care of at the moment and attacking Orochimaru was suicidal to say the least.

--------

Back in the ring…

Naruto sighed and got ready to the soon to come fight that he as going to be handed to by the Council and as a way to test his Kekkai Genkai. He was looking forward to this fight and hoped that what Fenrix said to him would work out. It was then that Gekkou spoke.

"Due to the large number of Genin teams, a Genin team must be removed as per request by the Council. The next fight will place the Genin team from the Village of Hidden Rain against…."

The people watched as the electronic board moved through the names and to the shock of everyone, except Naruto and Fenrix….Naruto's name came up.

The other Genin were surprised as one Genin taking on a three man team was unheard of anywhere….and even more so that it was Naruto who was going to be the one lone Genin who was going to be fighting against them, the Rookie 9 knew that Naruto's new power might work, but how ill he beat at least three targets.

The rain Genin had the thought that they were going to win easily and their leader spoke to prove their thoughts.

"I don't know why a punk like you gets to fight all three of us….but we are going to make sure we are NOT going to be eliminated by you….if you could eliminate us by your lonesome kid!"

Naruto however was not the least bit intimated as he replied with a confident smirk.

"Why don't you stop talking and start fighting?"

The Rain Genin got real angry at that and their leader Oboro cast the Kage Bushin Jutsu that they favored and when they had surrounded Naruto they unleashed another surprise.

"Take this brat!!!!"

The Rain Genin unleashed a massive number of shuriken and kunai at Naruto to finish him off….Naruto however merely relaxed and closed his eyes….much to the shock of everyone in the area, while Kin, Dosu, and Zaku looked on.

Kin looked at Naruto and spoke.

"Is that guy trying to commit suicide?"

"Who the hell cares….he's nothing but trash."

Dosu however was not so sure about that. After what he had seen the boy turn into before when Kin and Zaku were out cold….he leader of the Sound Genin team knew that there was LOT more that what was going on before him.

And his thoughts were proven true as the kunai and shuriken hit Naruto…without ill effect….the weapons merely hit him on the skin and bounced off….without a single drop of blood on his body.

"What the hell?!"

Naruto grinned and now it was time to pay these guys back for that attack. He focused his thoughts on his blood and then felt a rush hit his body and now he felt himself being energized and the others watched as Naruto once more was releasing the same gold and silver mist and he spoke to the Rain Genin Team.

"Now that you've had your fun….it's MY turn!!!!"

Naruto tensed up and shouted.

"DRAGON KING BLOOD…RELEASE!!! WIND!!!!"

-------

-Elsewhere…

"I must have been out of my mind to have said that…"

Kakashi said to himself as he calmed himself a bit and looked over at Sasuke who was currently resting after the binding seal ritual that he had undergone. He was acting this way since he had been faced by Orochimaru who was shed his disguise and revealed himself still in his Sound Jonin outfit and the two traded words, while Kakashi defended Sasuke with his use of his Raikiri. During this time, Orochimaru revealed that he had known about the Wave Country mission, but only because he wanted to keep track of his prize…Sasuke.

He also revealed that he was the head and leader of the Sound Village and that sooner or later…Sasuke will be his, and then nothing would stop him. However he was interested with Naruto now…either as a test subject or as a target to be eliminated, and to have that sword either corrupted or destroyed.

Orochimaru left afterwards and Kakashi was able to get some help from a small band of ANBU that he sent to escort and protect Sasuke in the Hospital where he was to rest and recover until his body got used to the binding seal, before Sasuke fell unconscious, he had told him that the binding seal needed his will to keep the Cursed Seal from spreading

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In the ring…

The Rain Genin couldn't help but feel themselves come close to crapping in their suits as they witnessed something that no one had ever expected. They had expected a three on one fight to be easy for them, while everyone else were shocked with the situation as Naruto faced a senior Genin team all on his own….however….it seemed that there was no need to worry.

Sarutobi couldn't help but smile a bit and he looked at Fenrix who smiled at him as the two of them looked on. The Hokage turned to see the shocked expression of the other members of the Konoha Council….it had shocked them to see that Fenrix was not kidding about Naruto's newly awakened bloodline being powerful despite it being still in the infancy stage.

Naruto looked at his arms and saw the tattoos that took the color of pure silver and the tattoos were also different in form and pattern, there were waves and lines as well as cloud like symbols and whirling spirals and even though he knew that this was just a basic power at the moment, he was amazed by the power that was flowing out of his body at the moment….all he said was the release command and then the element Wind and then the tattoos appeared and transformed….even though he still felt the rush of pain at first, but that was now nothing more than a simple prick than a blinding flash of power.

And here he was now….surrounded by a column of pure wind that was moving about him at his very command…

There were two visible vortexes of air on his hands while a glowing aura of air surrounded the area near his feet, showing swirling light and air around him like a tornado and his eyes were glowing slightly as his tattoos were glowing and he could feel the power of his bloodline flowing through his veins and he felt a desire to unleash his powers at the full. All over the area and the building were strong winds as the air came alive and moved all over the place….and the wind was flowing in and moving all over Naruto in that moment

Naruto then decided to bring it on as he moved and leaped over the heads of the Rain Genin and as soon as he landed, he spun himself and moved his arms towards his chest in the same way and created a massive sphere of pure high concentrated air around him, he then pushed his arms outward at the sides and the air concentrated there in the sphere that covered him suddenly exploded with amazing force outward…

The three man team of Rain Genin were sent flying outward and so were their Bushin and those were reduced to splatter as the power of the wind based attack….and the Rain Genin were knocked out in merely three seconds…a new record in the whole history of the Chuunin Exams…

Just about every ninja within the whole room was stunned at the sight before them all. Naruto, with just one move….had defeated THREE Genin in one simple but powerful move and in merely the time frame of three seconds!!!

"Holy….what was that?!"

Kiba was shocked out of his hood as he saw that all the Rain Genin were knocked out by one move. If he thought that the sight of Naruto not even taking a single scratch from the kunai and shuriken that were thrown at him was shocking….this one just beat them all. Akamaru was also confused and barking.

"That….that was amazing Naruto-kun!!!"

Hinata was blushing bright red at how much Naruto had not just grown physically, but in power as well….that was amazing as well as the sight of Naruto being unharmed by the Kunai and shuriken that were thrown at him earlier. She had thought he was going to be badly injured…but the shuriken and kunai didn't even hurt him.

(Is that the power of Naruto's Kekkai Genkai? If that is….it is amazing!)

Rock lee was impressed and proved it as he shouted.

"THAT WAS GREAT NARUTO-SAN!!!! "

Gai was also impressed at the sight….he was not familiar with the move that Naruto had used and wondered if Kakashi had been teaching him some new technique….however, the rival of Kakashi had his doubts, that move was certainly something that Kakashi might learn during his years as an ANBU, but as a Taijutsu master of Konoha he saw that the technique required no hand seals at all….he knew that there was no way a jutsu like that would be done without hand seals….so it must be something. For now…since Kakashi had left with Sasuke to do something, he would have to keep this secret for the time being and figure out what was going on.

Ino was surprised at the whole scene….

"Is that REALLY Naruto?! The same Naruto who used to be the dead last among us?!"

"This is troublesome….if he can fight like that at the moment, there's no way I can beat him if I have to fight him."

Shikamaru said as he looked on.

Chouji was silent as he munched on, but even he was impressed by what he had seen.

Their Jonin sensei were also surprised by the sight….Asuma was stunned to silence as he nearly dropped his currently lit cigarette to the ground at the sight before him. As soon as he was able to get his mouth to work at the moment, he decided to speak.

"That was unexpected….that was no normal Wind Release technique…"

Kurenai was also impressed by the sight.

(Amazing….to think he could manipulate wind to that degree and not use hand seals doing it….could this really be the same Naruto who was the undeniable class clown that failed several times in the Academy Graduation Exam?)

Gaara was very impressed at the sight and trembled as he looked at the raw power Naruto had just displayed before them.

(He is strong….very strong….I want to kill him!!!!)

Temari was also surprised.

(Impossible….that guy did all THAT?!)

"Wow…."

Kankurou was surprised at the sight.

Baki was likewise impressed as he had never seen that before….there were a large number of Wind users back in Suna, Temari being one of them, but there was no one who could manipulate THAT much Wind with only their hands and body….this one deserved to be watched…The Sand Jonin decided to do some investigating….even though he had faith in the plan….this Naruto Uzumaki….might prove to be a problem.

Baki however had NO idea how much Naruto would be a problem as the blonde Genin and now Clan head moved triumphantly back to the upper floor to see the next fight.

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To be continued…

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Author's Notes:

Well that's over and done with. Now that was tiring work…so I hope that this will be up to standard for all my readers at the moment as I have to get back to doing school work and home work….plus an annual festival here in my home town will bite hard into my writing time.

What do you think of the revelations in this chapter eh….I guess the saying I put there is true….Knowledge IS power. Naruto has just risen up the food chain, from Genin to head of his own clan and wielding a bloodline that puts all other Kekkai Genkai to shame.

Of course, this does not immediately mean that Naruto is more powerful instantly. Since he had the original Kekkai Genkai based from the power of Dragons and a Dragon King, it has not evolved into what the other Kekkai Genkai are today…it is like a pure form and could go either way.

Ahh….but what of the coming battle with Neji Hyuuga?

THAT is going to be a killer of s surprise!!!

See you later!!!


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto Dragon Ascendant

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Jump and I am just a writer who is not employed.

Chapter 2

Power Undying…

( ): Thoughts

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Original:

'Quality is good, and so is quantity, but what happens when you combine both?'

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The village of Konoha…

Naruto walked back to his home as he was accompanied by Fenrix, the day had been very long and hard at the moment as he had witnessed a good numbers of battles, he had been tasked to face Kiba and Akamaru, but the fight did not last long as Kiba, who was not happy with fighting him at his new state and both he and Akamaru did their best but he had easily defeated them….but naturally he didn't harm Kiba too much.

His bracers limited his full power, even his strength, though his strength was greater than it was before when he was not able to awaken his powers and this allowed him to defeat Kiba well enough despite Akamaru's help, he had to admit that Kiba gave as good as he got but with his Dragon Skin, no amount of attacks Kiba and Akamaru threw at him could easily harm him….though it still stung a bit as his scales, according to Fenrix were still developing and needed more time to fully adapt to his body.

The other fights were pretty interesting as he looked on, The fight between Zaku and Shino was interesting enough and Fenrix looked at the battle with a critical eye and knew that the Destruction Bugs were the key to Shino's victory as this allowed him a unique combat advantage over the other foes he would be facing at the moment.

Another fight was naturally the one between Kin and Shikamaru, where his former classmate was proving to be very good in his own right as well as any other ninja despite his apparent laziness through the use of his Shadow Manipulation Kekkai Genkai. The end of the fight was somewhat amusing to Fenrix who had admit he had seen such a move before but said that the ones used by the Nara Clan were not as powerful as the much older form, nevertheless, he congratulated it and considered the Nara Clan to be very good in their use of the old Ascendant bloodline that their clan had in them.

The fight between Ino and Sakura was rather interesting as the two fought it out with whatever skills and abilities they had, Ino was the stronger of the two but Sakura was just as determined and he was surprised with the use of Bushin that was similar to his own, and while the fight had ended in a double knock out and that meant that Sakura was no longer able to compete in the semi finals, he was happy that Sakura finally showed that she had what it took to be a Kunoichi, and he noted the fact that despite their fighting, the friendship that was between the two was still there. Fenrix noted that as well and respected that and said that while this was a simple battle by most if not all standard, it was a good fight, it was also when Kakashi arrived on the scene to see how things were doing.

There were two fights however that got his attention completely and the same could be said for Fenrix.

The first battle was the battle between Hinata and Neji….from the very second the battle started, he was getting enraged by the way Neji was belittling Hinata and the sight of the girl he once thought to be shy, dark, and weird was somehow enraging him, to hear her try to defend herself and the way she looked made Naruto even more angry at Neji's actions, he shouted to Neji to shut up and he then told Hinata to stand up for herself and prove to Neji that she could change no matter what and beat the snot out of him. Hinata did her very best but was beaten however he saw that she had done her best….and she was all right as Kakashi, Gai, and Kurenai stopped Neji from landing a fatal blow.

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Flashback…

"Hmph! Typical of the Main Family getting all the treatment…"

Neji however was unable to finish his words when a shout came right at him.

"SHUT UP!!!!!"

Neji barely had enough time to move out of the way as Naruto came right at him with a fist surrounded by a vortex of Wind and the fist ripped through the floor like it was nothing more than kindling, surprising everyone, including Kakashi. Naruto moved away from the clouds, covered in the same tornado aura and his eyes were glowing a bit and his teeth were bare, he lifted his fist and spoke to Neji as the winds whirled about him.

"I am going to rip that damn tongue out of your mouth with my bare hands!"

Fenrix however stepped in and so did Kakashi despite the fact the Jonin had no idea what was going on at the moment.

"Naruto that is enough!"

Kakashi held one side of Naruto's shoulder while Fenrix held Naruto's coiled fist and the senior Dragon Ascendant watched as the bracers quickly reacted and Naruto's powers began to subside and the tornado stopped and the tattoos faded from Naruto's body and the blonde Genin turned to see to Hinata, she tried to say something to him but she fell unconscious. Naruto looked at the blood there from Hinata and touched it and then turned to Neji and snorted and spoke to Neji.

"If you and I ever fight…mark my words, you are going to apologize for what you have said because I will beat the crap out of you like you've never felt before."

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End of Flashback…

The next fight was the one between Gaara and Lee, he had thought Lee was fast, but when it seemed that Lee's Taijutsu couldn't match Gaara's sand, lee was told by Gai to remove his weights and then things took a very interesting turn as the weights fell off, the very second the weights hit the floor and actually shook the building he was able to see the Genin go full throttle and he knew just about everyone who saw this with the exception of Neji and Gai were surprised at how fast Lee was moving and hitting, even Fenrix was impressed somewhat. The battle went to Gaara's corner and Lee unleashed his special skill and unlocked his chakra gates and to the shock of him and everyone about, he tore the battle ground like Swiss Cheese in a grinder, but even that was not enough to keep Lee's foe down for the count, Gaara recovered and was more than ready to fight and was able to cripple Lee.

The sight of Lee's body still standing before Gaara and Gai despite the fact his left arm and leg were broken was amazing, the guy was fighting in pure instinct and body memory and Gai was very sad for this, and even Kakashi had to apologize to Gai for not showing Lee more credit as he was very powerful to reach the Five Gates.

All in all, after the matches, he was told that he and the others would have a month to get ready for the soon to come semi-final matches and it was going to be something that he was looking forward to. He was eager to start his training so he won't be left behind, he hoped that Kakashi would be able to teach him, but Kakashi was on a special meeting with the Hokage and just about every other Jonin, Chuunin, and even the clan heads. Despite the fact that he was not very interested in politics, he couldn't help but wonder what that meeting was all about.

As he arrived, he was surprised to see a number of ANBU at his apartment and there was none other than the Hokage himself who seemed to be overseeing some sort of moving program. Naruto wanted to know what was going on and why were ANBU and the Hokage at his house of all things.

"Hey Old Man, what's going on here?"

The Hokage turned and replied.

"We need to have the apartment refurbished and rebuilt in order to make extra room for several other dignitaries, so this place is being rebuilt at this moment by several workers and it has to be cleaned and cleared out. Your furniture and other amenities are going to be stored in the Hokage Tower until then Naruto."

Naruto couldn't help but feel a bit shocked at the news.

"But where the heck am I going to live this time? I don't have enough money to buy a brand new home Old Man!"

The Hokage however gave a sly smile and replied to Naruto's question.

"Valen had made special plans remember? He had a home build for you in secret and it is now yours, Fenrix I believe knows more about it than I do, so it would be best that your guardian explain it to you."

"Valen made me a home? Where is it?"

Fenrix grinned…he had secretly visited the home that his Master had prepared for Naruto nearly years before….normally houses took weeks or months to make….but with a Dragon King….those houses would be done in mere days, but it was also very secret as no one in Konoha had any idea of it's location or what was hidden deep beneath it. It was not a house in the standards of most humans, but something else entirely.

As the two left, Sarutobi looked on and sighed as he looked back at the ninja who were busy packing up Naruto's supplies and gear for him to pick up later. He then thought back on how the discussion with the Jonin and Chuunin went when he told them of the latest developments.

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Flashback…

As soon as all the Jonin and Chuunin were in the meeting hall and also the head of the clans in Konoha, as well as members of the Council, he began the special meeting, not just concerning Orochimaru, but also the discovery and awakening of Naruto's Kekkai Genkai and naturally his moving out of his old home apartment and into his new clan house. Naturally a LOT of the Jonin, Chuunin and clan heads were quite surprised by the news that was given to them at the moment and they were still debating what to do with this kind of information.

The same was true for Kakashi as he was still trying to get used to the idea that his Genin team not only had one Kekkai Genkai user, namely Sasuke, but another, who could manipulate Wind in a way that even Asuma could not. Asuma was one of the few Wind users in Konoha and thus was more knowledgeable of the use Wind chakra.

The Clan heads were also interested and were eager to see this Kekkai Genkai of Naruto in action, though many of them were not all that convinced of it's powers.

As the meeting was adjourned, he told Kakashi to stay and turned as there was yet another guest who had remained in the shadow, and Kakashi knew already who it was.

"It's good to see you again, Jiraiya-sama."

"It's good to see you too Kakashi, you've matured a lot since I last saw you, so, how is it dealing with Naruto?"

"He's a handful, that much I can be certain. You know already that he is a clan head?"

"Sarutobi-sensei told me, you realize that as soon as the news comes out, things for Naruto are going to get VERY interesting."

"I know, but what brings you back here Jiraiya-sensei?"

"I came here for mere research, but also to give my report, I know Orochimaru is here and the target is Sasuke, no surprise there, that Kekkai Genkai will seriously interest him with the ability to see and copy jutsus. So what sort of abilities does Naruto's Kekkai Genkai have?"

Sarutobi filled the two of them in and Jiraiya was grinning.

"I can't wait to see this in action."

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End of Flashback…

As he walked back to his home, the Hokage couldn't help but wonder just how Naruto would react to the sight of his new home.

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In another part of Konoha…

The two Dragon Ascendants arrived in a massive valley a fair distance from Konoha and as soon as they got there, Naruto was not able to see any buildings, and he looked at Fenrix, who just smiled.

"So where is this new home of mine Fenrix-sensei?"

"Allow me to show you."

Fenrix made some gestures and to Naruto's eyes, he saw a shimmering of light and then out of nowhere was a massive hill made of pure stone that had several unique patterns of rock and metal about it and he could have sworn the patterns had a soft but very powerful glow at the moment and there was something about this place that tugged at his senses. He watched as Fenrix touched a wall and the wall seemed to shimmer and there was a long tunnel there.

As they walked through the tunnel, they went deeper into the earth, and finally they arrived at another door and as soon as Fenrix touched the door and pointed for Naruto to do the same, the doors parted and in that moment, they were in the main hall.

Naruto looked at the main hall of his new home…and was impressed to the point his eyes became saucers and his jaw dropped, he thought living underground meant that he was living in some sort of dank, smelly, dirty cave….not this!

The main hall looked like a mansion….in the middle was a beautiful foundation with cool clear water and statues made of pure marble that resembled dragons. There were benches made of solid marble as well which were covered in soft leather. Light was coming through several large openings and was distributed all over the halls by both water and apparently light emitting crystals shaped like trees that glowed softly….giving the place a very soft but strong amount of light….there were underground streams that were moving through and were cool to the touch and to Naruto's amazement were drinkable. The walls were smooth and covered in small gems and inlaid with copper mirrors which appeared to be well polished, as well as silver and gold designs that made the place even more grandiose than before…and in the areas….were healthy trees and bushes….giving out a sweet scent to the cave. The floors were made from tiles that combined, marble, jade, and smooth limestone and were very strong….all in al, the main hall was impressive

Fenrix couldn't help but chuckle at the look of awe in his student's face as he gazed at the main hall of his brand new home. It was befitting someone who earned the favor of a Dragon King as well as the new head of a Clan in his mind. And it seemed the same for Naruto as he moved about and explored his new home's main hall.

"Naruto, we have yet to see the rest of your home, come on."

Naruto nodded and the two of them approached two massive stone doors which had intricate designs and Naruto pressed his hand on the doors as he found himself marveling at it. He was then surprised to see the intricate designs glow pale blue and then the doors seemed to move and slide into the walls, and Fenrix spoke to his charge.

"The doors are at least two feet thick of specially enchanted limestone that are held in place by pure magic, and are only designed to open for the owner of this house…namely you, this applies to all the doors as well in this home of yours….now let us take a good look at your home."

The hallways were also lined with soft glowing crystals and the gentle sounds of water flowing on small canals on the sides of the walls were rather soothing to the ears. On the sides were bowls that had pools of water in them and when he tried some…the water was cool, enriching and fresh, in Naruto's mind, it was amazing.

They arrived and opened another set of doors in before Naruto was yet another hall, a lot larger than the main hall, but in it were beautiful statues made of jade, and marble, as well as metal, there were stone tables in a semi circle there in the middle as well as smaller tables in the sides and benches of stone which had soft leather there as well. There were four large crystal formations that were giving light into the main hall through filtering openings above….the walls were also smooth and supported by pillars of stone and metal which were also smooth and cool to the touch, and there were some trees and bushes which were very healthy and gave a soothing refreshing smell like a fresh forest into the hall. There were chairs there on each table….with one being a little larger than the others as well. And there was a large open floor there as well

There was a massive staircase at the back with several stone doors there as well. On the right were also two sets of doors and there was also another set of doors on the left. Naruto could only say a single word.

"Amazing!!!"

"Yes it is, this is the main dining and entertainment hall, this is where you can have your food and where to feed and entertain your guests as well. The first set of doors to the right lead to the food storage chamber where the food and drink are preserved for your use. The second set of doors lead to main kitchen where your food is prepared….would you like to take a look at them?"

"Oh yeah! I want to see the kitchens!!!"

"Good, I figured you would like that. Come on."

The kitchens were larger than his old apartment, and like the halls, they were very good, clean, well maintained, well lit, and there were kilns, roasting pits, piles of wood, coal, fuel and more. The kitchens also had all the things needed to staff a kitchen such as condiments, dishes, utensils, cooking tools and more. Naruto was impressed greatly at the sight of the kitchen as it made his older kitchen look so small. The blonde Genin looked the place over and he could see that there were some strange symbols on the place and he touched them and the place came alive and it was when Fenrix explained to Naruto how the kitchen worked.

"This place is run by natural energy drawn from the very heart of this world and so it can take care of itself, the symbols you touched will activate this place. All you have to do is to make the dish and when everything is in place, place it in the appropriate cooking device and then place your hand on the symbols and then use the power of your mind to project the dish and how it is made and the cooking device will do the rest. This will also function like any moral kitchen if you want and will for others who come here."

"Cool!!!"

"Isn't it? The storage place is similar to the shape of this kitchen, but as it's name states, it stores food and ingredients and stores them in special containers that only stores massive quantities but can also retain the freshness of all food and drink items that are stored in them, so you can have enough food and drink to feed a large number of people here in great safety. This entire place is protected by the very energy of the world and thus only one who wields the same kind of power can even break through the outer walls."

The two left the kitchen and they went to the other side of the dining hall and entered one of the other doors and they found themselves in a large room and there were blowers, a massive fire pit, piles of wood and coal, bars of metal were there, as well as prongs, large hammers, and a set of anvils. On the other side where there was no danger of fire were books and scrolls in well made shelves of stone and metal, there was even a table that had mortar and pestle, along with vials, powder bags and more. The place was also lit by crystals and had several open vents and a massive chimney on the area above the fire pit. Naruto then noted several molding stones in the area as well as working benches and he couldn't help but wonder just what this place was at the moment and Fenrix was the one who told him.

"This is your special Creation Hall, this place is part armory, part forge, part, alchemist' lab, and part library so you don't need to have too many places to go to. Here you can learn many things on whatever subject interests you and where you can create weapons, armor and more if it helps, as well as potions, and herbal mixtures."

"Why do I need armor?'

"That is entirely your decision Naruto, but keep in mind that you are still very much a hatchling when it comes to you Ascendant heritage so any form of protection will certainly be worth the time to learn so do not thing that you do not need some extra edges in combat should the need come to that. The books and scrolls also have information of the making of potions that can be highly effective for you and others, along with salves, oils, kits, and more using the native ingredients and secretly hidden ones that only those who are taught by Dragons can find. Valen had been in your world long enough to know how to find the places that time and humanity had either forgotten or chose to forget and he stored them here in this place….a Dragon King's wisdom is worth a hundred years worth of human knowledge….so do not take these books and scrolls lightly."

Naruto nodded as he began to grasp the implications of what Fenrix was saying. They then left the Creation Hall and then entered a massive hall that was bare of all the other things he had seen in the other halls, there were only glowing crystals, vents, and several pools of cool spring water in the hall. The floor didn't have elegant tiles but soft flat earth and the walls lacked the designs and more, compared to the halls Naruto had seen, this place was very sparse, and Spartan like in design and form, but he could sense great amounts of power in the place.

"What is this place?'

"This is the Training Hall, this is obviously where you can train using your powers and abilities and as such, this hall is specially filled with hidden wards and symbols that reinforce it. And considering the fact that you will learn to use a variety of powers that will rely on your Ascendant Kekkai Genkai, this place is going to be seeing a great deal of hard use soon enough, that is the reason why this place is specially reinforced to make sure it does not collapse, so don't let the Spartan appearance fool you. We can come back here for your training later, as we still need to see the rest of your home so let's move on for now."

The two left the Training Hall and then they made their way to the staircase located in the back of the Dining Hall and they were in a massive hallway that branched off to the sides and they went to one of the hallways and found themselves before a smaller door and when Naruto opened it, he found a well furbished room with a soft bed with the framework made of stone and the mattress being very soft and comfortable as well as the pillows and the lush covering, there was a well polished silver mirror that reflected Naruto's face and form like glass, there was also a large drawer there made from wood, and there was another door that led to a room that had a pool of water that had a pair of gems on it, one was red and the other was deep blue, and there seemed to be something of a sprinkler on the wall that was overhead near it as well.

"What is this place?"

"This is a simple guest room, the gems on this pool will allow the user to condition the water to be either hot or cold and adapting to human needs, and the sprinkler acts as a shower of sorts, this place has at least sixty of these rooms in this area, simple and functional, but comfortable."

"How does air get in here?"

"The air is regulated by both the plants that are sustained here and drawn in by mystical means so this entire compound is routinely supplied with air so there is no danger of anyone suffering asphyxiation. The same goes for these rooms and the air is able to be regulated to be comfortably cool or warm depending on the desires of the person residing in the room. Let's move on to YOUR room, I think you might find that place a lot more to your interest."

Naruto and Fenrix moved to the hallway and they headed for the large double doors and when those parted….Naruto looked at his own room in wonder as this room was something else entirely. It was spacious and the bed was large, not large in the sense that it was taking up the whole room, but it was a LOT larger than his old bed. The place was well furbished as there were closets made from well carved and conditioned wood, there were also chairs there and a trio of silver mirrors and when he saw his personal bathroom, it was very well made, a large pool there for him to swim in and the water was clean and clear, and there were two gems there, one red, and the other deep blue. There was also a small pool there and both were fed by a spring of water that was still flowing, there were glowing crystals there as well.

"So how do you find your new home Naruto?"

"It's amazing, to think that this is now my own home and Valen made it for me, it's just….amazing."

"This entire compound is the result of Master Valen's preparations for you to awaken to your powers, the reason your powers really took so long to awaken was due to your demon resident."

"Really? The Kyuubi did something to block my Ascendant Blood?"

"That is correct, it had somehow restrained your powers, but it was not going to have an easy time of it, and when that Grass Genin struck you, he had inadvertently broke the Kyuubi's hold on Valen's blood and now you know the result, if he only knew that his plan to disable you has made you stronger, the look on his face would be priceless. Now come, we need to begin your training as soon as possible."

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In the Training Hall…

Naruto was in the Training Hall and as they spared with one another, Naruto learned that Fenrix was not kidding that he was a lot better than him as his movements were fluid, prices, and accurate, and his hits were certainly painful and the blonde realized that if he had fought Fenrix as a normal person, he would have been asking for quite a beating indeed., they threw punches at one another and kicks as well and Naruto did his best to hit his Ascendant mentor but Fenrix was no easy mark.

"Come on Naruto, move faster! I am moving normally here, use your speed and power at once!"

The training was very difficult and despite his stamina and agility….Naruto was quick to run out of breath and Fenrix knew it, but he pushed Naruto on and it was there that Naruto got more serious and pushed himself further, showing his dedication, and determination, much to Fenrix' approval of the situation, the more effort Naruto placed on his training, the better he would become, as well as developing the needed control to fully master his still growing powers.

As the two continued to spar, Naruto finally felt his legs give way, but Fenrix caught him and spoke to his student.

"You did well….now let's get a drink."

The senior Dragon Ascendant helped Naruto reach one of the pools and when Naruto took a drink, the water tasted delicious and made him recover his strength and with a nod from Fenrix who then got the blonde Genin and Dragon Ascendant to his feet and he began to explain to him some things.

"Do you recall what you did during the preliminaries of the Chuunin exams?"

"Yes, what about that time?"

"Well, if you are not familiar with the five elemental forms of chakra, I'll repeat for you, there are five elemental chakras in your world, Fire Element Chakra, Wind Element Chakra, Water Element Chakra, Earth Element Chakra, and Lightning Element Chakra. Now each of them has a corresponding level of strength and weakness, Fire can beat Wind as Wind is weaker than Fire and only helps make Fire stronger, Wind however beats Lightning, while Lightning defeats Earth, Earth then defeats Water, and Water naturally defeats Fire."

"Okay, but why are you telling me this?"

"The reason is that this is for the use of Ninjitsu, but as an Ascendant, you have a tie to the natural world which has not been seen here for millennia, and as far as I know, most ninja have one or two elemental affinities, in the case of what I have seen on Kakashi, he has the Lightning Element and for Sasuke, he command Fire which is obvious as the Uchiha Clan are known for Fire Techniques. And while you have your own elemental affinity to discover, you're Ascendant powers are able to draw energy from the very fabric of the elements and the earth itself. As such, you have a gift that many ninja will not easily see. Let me show you just what I mean by that statement."

Fenrix focused his powers slightly and his tattoos came to life and to Naruto's amazement, his tattoos resembled waves of flame or fire like patterns and were colored fiery gold and red and then Fenrix moved his fist to create a large aura of flame that covered his hands.

"So Fire is your Element?"

"No, you are about to see what I mean."

Naruto was stunned as Fenrix merely calmed himself and his tattoos changed form into resembling lightning bolts and spheres that emitted lightning, and color and he began to manipulate the arcs of pure lightning before him in his hands as his tattoos were glowing gold at the moment and the senior Dragon Ascendant then moved the lighting to attack one of the nearby targets….reducing the tall pillar of wood into nothing but charred pieces and Fenrix smiled at Naruto.

"Now you try it….summon your powers and say the word Lightning."

Naruto calmed himself and focused his powers and spoke.

"DRAGON KING BLOOD! RELEASE!!! LIGHTNING!!!"

As soon as Naruto said that, his tattoos activated and the tattoos took the symbols of lightning bolts and spheres, and were glowing golden at the moment and as soon as the transformation was complete, he saw arcs of lightning moving on his hands and he felt no pain as the lightning moved about on his arms and body…

"Wow…."

Fenrix nodded and explained patiently to Naruto just what was going on.

"As you can see….the technique you are using at the moment is what is called Elemental Manipulation. This is what a Dragon Ascendant is capable of with initial training and he or she can use the technique to unleash torrents of fire at their foes, create earth shields for defense, unleash boulders at larger targets, fire currents of pure lightning through the ground and in the air, fire waves of water at their foes, unleash funnels of wind to send their opponents flying, and more."

"Cool!!! You're going to teach me all that? When do we start?!"

"Not so fast hatchling…first there are some basic rules you need to both know and follow before you try this exercise."

"What are those?"

"First, These abilities require that you practice how to shift elements when in a combat situation, using the right element in the right moment can be critical….in simple terms, using the right weapon for the right battle. The second is that you need to develop control, at the moment you still need to say the words in order to affect the shift, a fully trained Ascendant can shift the elements merely by thinking about the shift and what Element they wish to use when the battle field changes. Allow me to show you what I mean exactly by that."

Fenrix then began to show Naruto just what he meant as the tattoos merely shifted into a new style of appearance and color and he was now manipulation a column of Earth that rose from the ground in the training hall, much to the awe of the blonde ninja and Dragon Ascendant, and then he raised two more pillars and then he shifted the tattoos once more and he then unleashed a massive number of fireballs from his hands that blew the first pillar into chunks and then the other one was hit by a massive wave of water… Fenrix then leaped into the air as his tattoos changed to match Naruto's tattoos in the fight with the Rain Genin and he delivered a powerful diving kick to the pillar he was standing on earlier with the Wind on his feet allowing him to slice through the pillar and land before Naruto, who was utterly impressed with he had seen at this moment and time.

"Wow!!!! That was awesome!!!!"

Fenrix nodded and then replied.

"True….but this is using each element separately….when fully trained and mastering each Element without relying on words…Then a fully trained and mature Dragon Ascendant can control all five elements at once and use them for both attack and defense."

"You're kidding!!!"

Fenrix smiled back and then he focused his tattoos and then they took the color of the five different elements and in a moment, Naruto was surprised to see a ring of fire moving around Fenrix, which was joined by arcs of lightning, a sphere of air surrounded by floating chunks of earth and a ring of pure water….all five Elements at once. Fenrix then revealed the power of the technique as he unleashed a combined stream of wind and fire at the very same time and destroyed a nearby pillar of Earth in a heartbeat. He then unleashed water and Lighting in a combined strike with Water going first hitting the other targets with the power of a tsunami and then the Lighting took it's turn and was amplified in power by Water massive pillars of Lightning were seen by Naruto hitting the other targets and they were obliterated instantly. Fenrix then unleashed a massive wave of stone to bombard the other target and then combined Earth and Wind to convert the Earth into sand that was blinding….replicating the very way Gaara fought as well, much to Naruto's amazement.

Naruto was awed and when Fenrix finished using the transformation and the five elemental combination, Naruto was eager to learn.

"Can you teach me that! Please!!!"

Fenrix couldn't help but laugh a bit at the expression on Naruto's face and he knew that while he couldn't teach Naruto that style of combat just yet as that style of elemental Manipulation require years of training, if not decades or centuries.

"Not until you master the basics of all five elements, as you need to do that before you can be able to use the five elements together in unison. What I showed you is but a demonstration and therefore this style of combat is a lot more powerful than even you can imagine at the moment. Now that you have an idea of the kind of training that you are about to undergo, you need to get ready as best you can, you have at least a month to prepare."

Naruto however was not deterred and replied.

"I'll master as best I can, don't you worry about that!"

Fenrix grinned and decided that for the time being he would tell him about being the head of his own clan, he was familiar with the needs of starting a clan and what were the rules and more. He also had to explain some important things about Naruto's Ascendant heritage that was very important and was for his ears alone at the moment, it would soon be revealed to the rest of the Konoha Council, though the Dragon Ascendant KNEW for a fact that the very second they heard about this….Naruto was going to be for a lot more than he could possibly handle, but then again, his student was not the kind to be bothered by odds all that much and that was fine by him.

"Before we get down to training, I suggest we take the time to talk about your new role as head of your own clan, there are some important considerations that you must know so you are better prepared for it. The last thing you need is to be caught doing something indecent which will not only embarrass you but also put your clan in a very bad light."

"All right then….tell me."

"First off is the matter of clan numbers, since you are the very first of your clan, then you will need others to make up your clan, there are two ways this can be done, you can adopt others into your ranks, or you can have a wife and have children who will be recognized as Clan members."

"A wife? I need to have a wife?"

"Of course Naruto, a clan can't survive without the head of the clan having heirs to it you know. But due to the fact that your clan is relatively new to the scene, I believe an old rule is to be used in allowing your clan to grow, and that is polygamy, and before you ask, that word means that you can have more than one wife."

Naruto's jaw dropped at that statement, having one wife to him was surprising enough….but MORE than ONE wife?!

"You can't be serious?!"

"I'm afraid so. There are instances of this happening as clans which are new have to have many blood related members to ensure that the clan's Kekkai Genkai will remain with them and also to ensure that if there are wars, there will be enough of them to fight and survive at the end of the war, this also ensures that the Clan has heirs to take the place of their head leader should anything happen to the leader. Having more than one wife can also help improve not just the already existing Kekkai Genkai, but introduce new abilities that could strengthen the clan, take for example this situation. Suppose you have a child with one of your wives who has exceptional control over the element of Water, the result is that any children born of that union would have a greater affinity for that type of element, thus improving the power of the clan. And considering the fact that your Kekkai Genkai is pure, it works both ways, the child will not only have your powers, but the traits of your wife will be enhanced by your own powers."

"You mean, if they have a Kekkai Genkai, then my Ascendant Blood can make it stronger?"

"Yes, it might also unlock portions of the power that was once thought lost. Take for example, the Byakugan of the Hyuuga Clan, at the moment, the Byakugan is powerful, but in it's pure and un-degraded form, the range was much better and it would eliminate the little known blind-spot that exists there, and it could go a step further by being able to see beyond the physical and see the spiritual and emotional. Now let's suppose that you have a wife from the Hyuuga Clan, who would naturally be Hinata Hyuuga herself as she is the heiress to the clan."

Naruto blushed bright red at the thought of Hinata being his wife…though why he had NO idea at the moment, but despite his face resembling a tomato at the moment, he nodded to Fenrix to go on with his example.

"If she is your wife, then not only will she gain the title of it, but her Byakugan can actually improve a great deal and be much stronger due to your, 'performance' of your duties as her husband, but the child you both will have will have not just a much stronger Byakugan, but your basic Ascendant powers and even the use of some higher aspects of your abilities. Are you getting me so far?"

"Yeah, I am, but this is kind of sudden."

"I understand that, another reason why you can have more than one wife is not just for the mentioned purposes, but it will also cement alliances with other families as the children born from you and your wife/wives from their families will be part of their own as well. This is where some delicacy is important so try to be patient as some clans might become pushy, as your Kekkai Genkai is quite powerful, there will be those who will try to do their best to have their daughters be married into your clan, knowing how to handle these situations with tact and diplomacy will not be easy, but it can be done."

"Okay, but there is something that I can't help but think about."

"That being?'

"My age, I mean I'm only 13 for crying out loud! I can't get married now!"

"True, but just because you are married by law, it does not mean you have to procreate instantly with your wife or wives in this case, get to know them more, learn from them, and be able to see them for who they are as people, that way you are actually building up a good relationship with the people who are going to be part of your clan."

"Okay, but I am still 13, how can I be sure that I can even have kids?"

"You can, your body will hit a certain point in which it will have an accelerated growth spurt so that means that while you are still 13, the growth spurt you will have soon will give you the body of an eighteen or nineteen year old person so you would be legally be able to have children, and your Dragon King Blood has given you quite the advantage in terms of procreation than that of normal men."

"Huh?"

"Have you taken sexual education classes in the Academy?"

"Uh, not really, I was always doing pranks and getting reprimanded to learn anything solid, I just know that men and women can have kids."

"Never mind, we'll reserve that set of lessons on male and female intimacy for another time, now as to what I said about you having an advantage over most men in the regards of procreation is in several ways. The first is that your sperm is capable of allowing women to be one hundred percent capable of having children, meaning that even one drop is enough to guarantee that your wife or any of them your wives will have a child."

"No way!"

"That is true Naruto, I would not lie about that part, the second is that your wife's pregnancy cycle is a lot different than that of normal women, a human child is born is at least nine months, but your child will be born in about half the time without any complications, so in simple terms, you can not only guarantee a full success rate when your wife or wives become pregnant, but your child can be born in the time frame of four months and seventeen and a half days. So in simple terms your clan could produce QUITE the number of children in a short amount of time. The third is that since you have the stamina to last in a much longer time frame than most people, you can certainly give your wife or wives a night they will never forget."

Naruto's nose bled out a fountain of blood at the news while Fenrix was enjoying this at the moment. He couldn't blame Naruto for the reaction he had at the time, since such news was something one did not receive as everyday news. As soon as this news hit the streets of Konoha, he knew that things were going to get VERY hectic, and if it came out to the rest of the world at large, he knew that things were going to get VERY interesting.

He then moved over to Naruto and nudged him with a smile on his face.

"Hey, you're not married yet so you can worry about that later, come on; we've got training to do."

Naruto recovered and was able to get his act together and return to training as they went through the prescribed exercises and as time passed, Naruto was getting into the swing of things.

Hours later….Naruto was once more tired and was eager to have some ramen and they headed back up and as they headed for Ichiraku Ramen Stand, Naruto was eager to finally put his training to the forefront of the month ahead.

--------

The next day, Naruto decided to visit the Hospital to see how things were for Sasuke at the moment, it was then that he ran into Kakashi who apparently had visited Sasuke before. The Jonin smiled at his student and spoke to him.

"Hey there Naruto, you've been busy?"

"You bet Kakashi-sensei, why are you here?"

"I came here to check on Sasuke actually, he's still out of it but the doctors said he's recover well enough on his own at the moment."

"That sounds all right, say, can you teach me a new jutsu, please?"

Kakashi shook his head and replied.

"I don't think I can teach you at the moment, I know about your Kekkai Genkai since the Hokage told me so you need to train in that area first and when you are ready, I can teach you a jutsu that you can use to your advantage. I might train Sasuke harder, but there are reasons for that, and you both have good potential."

"Oh all right, but promise me that you are going to teach me someday!"

"Count on it, by the way, you want to pay a visit to Lee? I hear here's in one of the rooms."

Naruto's face became sad at the thought of Rock lee being the way he was at the moment and what Kakashi said about the dangers of Kinjutsu or 'forbidden' jutsu. He hoped that the tough and strong Genin would recover soon and continue to be a ninja.

"How is he?"

"He'll live, but I don't know about his chances of being a ninja. Gai taught him well, there is no doubt in my mind about that, but for his chances, I just don't know."

"But can't the Medic Nin do something?"

Kakashi shook his head and replied.

"They're skilled, but nowhere near that skilled, the only Medic Nin I know who can do the surgery needed to heal Lee would have to be Tsunade."

"Tsunade? Who's that?"

"One of the Sannin or the legendary Three Ninja Sages, she was the finest Medic Nin in the village of Konoha and was the granddaughter of the Shodai Hokage, and she had superhuman strength, she was strong enough to collapse a wall with one hit."

"Wow, so where is she?"

"She isn't here, and no Naruto, she's not a Missing Nin like Zabuza, her case is….different."

"How different?"

"I'm afraid I don't know all the details, the only one who would know would be her teammates."

Naruto nodded and then bid farewell to Kakashi and this allowed the Jonin to relax, had he told Naruto the other reason for visiting Sasuke and training, he had no doubt the Genin and new Clan leader would have been royally angry.

He had recently managed to stop Kabuto from killing Sasuke…the Leaf ninja then revealed that he was a spy and a servant of Orochimaru as well and was a highly skilled one to have killed all of the ANBU guards that Kakashi had requested to guard Sasuke. He noted that very well and despite this, he did his best to convince Kabuto to leave, Kabuto was able to escape, using disguises and elaborate jutsus as well…fooling Kakashi with one of the dead ANBU used as a puppet with his clothes and face on while he had taken the disguise of the same slain ANBU and escaped…Kakashi could tell that despite Kabuto's age and youth…he was not someone to underestimate, so he himself would have to shape up and be stronger than before…and if Orochimaru had such talent at his side…things were not going to be easy.

He however had no doubt that the very second Orochimaru and Kabuto find out about Naruto's hidden powers and Kekkai Genkai, things for Naruto were going to get very interesting.

For now however, he had work to do with Sasuke as he, Jiraiya and the Hokage knew that they had to keep Sasuke's Sharingan from Orochimaru.

As Naruto walked through the floors, he ran into none other than Shikamaru who was carrying a fruit basket.

"Hey Shikamaru!"

"Oh Naruto, what brings you out here?"

"I was planning to visit Sasuke to see how the guy was doing, and also to see Lee, what are you doing here?"

"Sending this fruit to Chouji, he had one streak rib too many if you catch my drift, it got so bad the nurse forbade him to eat anything solid for the next few days. And you know how Chouji will react to that."

"Yeah, that is bad news to Chouji."

"Anyway, it'll be a drag to be carrying this all day, here, grab a bite."

Naruto took an apple and quickly munched it as the two of them began to make their way to Lee's room after getting some directions, however, it was then that both ninja felt something bad in the air, Shikamaru and Naruto looked at one another and quickly moved to see what was going on and as soon as they reached lee's room, they saw just what was going on. As well as who was in the room with the still sleeping Genin.

Gaara, who was about to kill Lee with the Desert Coffin. Shikamaru moved quickly and bound the Sand Genin with his Shadow Manipulation Kekkai Genkai and Naruto moved and quickly hit Gaara right on the face.

"OW!!! Hey Naruto! Don't hit him while I got him bound with my Shadow, you just hit me!"

"Sorry about that!"

(Man, Naruto's got a hell of a right hook, if he had not pulled back, he would have broken not just this Gaara guy's jaw but mine too.)

The sand Genin got up and looked at the two and focused on them as they saw that the Genin was wearing his Sand armor but it was badly damaged at the moment.

"What the heck are you doing here in Lee's room Gaara!"

"Well met again Naruto Uzumaki…I didn't expect you here…I am a bit disappointed I don't get to fight you in the Finals."

"Now isn't the time for that and you know it…why are you here?"

----------

"Hi there Chouji…how are you doing?"

Ino asked as Chouji smiled and saw both her and the fruit basket she had for him in her hands.

(Wow…a pretty girl with food! What a lucky break!)

----------

Back in Lee's room…

"What are you doing here Gaara? I won't ask again…"

Naruto wanted answers and wanted them now, he knew that he couldn't attack Gaara with any of his abilities due to the fact he'd injure Shikamaru as well, along with harming Lee, but he couldn't help but ask just what the heck was Gaara doing here in this room of all things.

"I was going to kill him."

That naturally didn't set well with the two Konoha Genin who glared at Gaara, that is Naruto glared while Shikamaru kept his cool, but even so, he was not liking the situation for the moment.

"What?"

The simple and calm look of Gaara which was mixed with a blood thirstiness was making Shikamaru nervous as he shook his head

(This guy is one cold customer…he's not showing any reaction, even if I have him tied down by my shadow jutsu, I have no doubt if he tries to attack us…I can't stop him too well…the only chance to diffuse this is to bluff him…but why the hell would he want to kill Lee?)

"You already beat him once in the Preliminaries…heck you practically broke his leg and arm and he can't fight anymore, let alone defend himself…yet you want to kill him? Isn't what you did to him back there enough for you? Is this some personal grudge you have on Lee?"

"I have nothing personal against him…, there's no ulterior motive or complicated planning involved with me being here…I just want to kill him, nothing more."

Naruto didn't like that in the least.

"You're insane Gaara…I don't know why the heck you're like this…but right now I don't care…you really lost it."

"Yeah…Naruto's right…you honestly think we'll stand by and let you murder one of our fellow Genin in his sleep and unable to fight back? You're one sick, selfish and twisted psychotic Gaara of the Sand."

"If you both don't stay out of my way…then I'll kill the both of you as well…"

Naruto however glared and his tattoos began to show themselves and traces of chakra began to seep out and he replied.

"I'd like to see you try it Gaara."

"Whoa Naruto! Don't blow a gasket here! Look, we know you are tough and we were there when you crippled Lee with your sand, but we haven't unleashed our full abilities just yet so we have the advantage."

"Really now?"

"Yeah, what you've seen of my family's ability with Shadows Manipulation is just the icing on the cake. Besides, there's two of us here, so take my advice and leave here peacefully."

Gaara however was not intimidated as he spoke back to Shikamaru.

"I'll say it again loud and clear, if you two get in my way…I'll kill you both right here and now…I don't need to wait until the tournament to kill you both."

(Damn…he's like ice…this is not going well.)

"I'd like to see you try Gaara."

"Damn it Naruto! Keep that temper in ice for a single minute! This guy fights like a demon for Kami's sake!"

Naruto glared and replied.

"He can act and fight like a demon all he wants…but I happen to have the real deal right inside of me. I happen to have a demon in me as well, a real one…pure power as well, and you do NOT want to wake it up."

"What the hell are you yapping about now! Let me try to diffuse this mess…what the whole point of getting him mad on us anyway!"

Gaara looked on as Naruto glared back…and he merely closed his eyes and spoke.

"A Demon inside you huh? Then my Demon is as real as your own is."

"What the heck?"

"My birth and my upbringing back in my village of Sand was not something one would call either happy or normal. To make sure I would be born as the ultimate Sand Shinobi to ever be borne from the Land of Wind…my father, the Fourth Kazekage used his Ninjutsu on me, infusing my still unborn form with the power of a Sand Demon Spirit…in doing so a life was lost with my birth…my mother's life. I was literally born as a monster in human form"

Naruto looked on with shock at that as he realized that there was something in Gaara's tone that told him that this was the truth…and it resonated with him…because it was the same as his own life. Shikamaru was also shocked and Gaara carried on.

"The name of that Demon that melded with me was Shukaku, the living reincarnation of a former Sand Priest who died and became evil and was sealed in a old tea kettle."

Shikamaru recovered and spoke.

"A demon based jutsu…but to use it on a baby…before it was ever born? That is one creepy thought. You're father must love you well enough to give you that power."

(Can it be true? Can he really have a Demon inside him…like I do?)

Gaara never showed emotion, but Naruto could tell that there was one emotion in Gaara…hatred.

"Love? You speak of love? Don't think I can be measured in your standards…it's not love I feel for my family…neither is it respect or any of those feelings you people have…the only emotional ties I have for them is hate…I hate my family, I hate them all to my very core…the only thing I ever wanted was to wrap either my hands or the sand in my gourd around their necks and kill them slowly."

"Given life by the death of my mother I was nurtured to be the salvation of the Sand Village, my father taught me all the secrets of the Ninja at a young age and I was treated well enough…pampered and protected and left to my own devices, and for a time…I thought it was love…but that was only the beginning of everything."

"What the heck are you talking about?"

"What kind of trick are trying to pull this time Gaara?"

"When the six years passed when I was six years old…my father tried to have me destroyed far more than I care to remember."

The way Gaara smiled and looked quite insane made Shikamaru and Naruto look in shock, both however were not backing away.

"You just said you're father pampered and protected you…was that some sort of lie?"

"It was no lie…those who get to be strong get to be feared and I was feared by everyone in the village. The same jutsu that was used to infuse Shukaku in me had imbalanced my mind in some way…even the most foolish of my village realized that I was…emotionally unstable. My father, the Kazekage created me as his ultimate weapon in battle…but even he saw that I was too dangerous and I became a threat to the very village I was meant to protect and save from disarray…When I was six I became a figure of terror to everyone and in their eyes…I was nothing more than a relic of the past they wanted gone…I was a living monument to their sins that they wanted destroyed. And that meant I had failed the purpose for which I was given life utterly. So I asked myself…what was left for me to exist in this wretched world? What was the point of living now? For living and having no goal is the same as being a dead corpse. But then I realized that everything has a purpose and a goal to stay alive in this world."

(What is this lunatic freak talking about?)

Naruto remained silent and thought to himself.

(I know what he means, I know what he feels…because I was like him too, him and I are no different from one another…we are both demon containers.)

"Then I found the answer…my reason to stay alive was in the killing of all those who are my targets…since it was my mother's death that gave me life…then it is in the death of ours that gave me purpose. I lived in fear of those sent to kill me…but now I do not fear death and I have killed many would be assassins sent by my father in the years, I learned that I truly lived when I fought and lived only for myself and I loved myself…I have no need for others, and also long as there are those alive for me to kill, then I will find some peace and happiness in this overcrowded, wide and wretched world…I will live here for all eternity."

(This guy has lost his mind…he's not human at all…but a freakish monster!)

(I was alone like him…I had no idea why I was alive…until Iruka-sensei came, and then saw me for me, not for the Kyuubi, he gave me a reason for living, then I met the old man, Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan…and even Sasuke…but Gaara…he had no one and those who could have helped him turned on him, he had to find his reason to stay living on his own…but he came up with this…to kill in order to live…could I have become like him if it hadn't been for Iruka-sensei being there…could I have been like Gaara too? We're so different…but we're close to being the same…we're literally brothers in a sense…)

"Naruto! Damn it all…not now! This is a drag!"

The reason for that was the sand suddenly came to life and despite Gaara being pinned down by Shikamaru's jutsu, the sand came right at them as Naruto was frozen stiff by what he heard and how much the same he and Gaara were.

Gaara was about to attack but it was then that Gai arrived on the scene and so did Fenrix and Fenrix had a blade of pure Fire aimed at Gaara's throat, and with one pull, the Dragon Ascendant could have easily sliced Gaara's head off.

"I suggest you lay off with your antics Gaara of the Sand. Harm anyone here, including my charge, I will slice your head clean off."

Gaara looked at Fenrix but even though he was emotionless, he mentally took a step back as he saw the dragon like eyes that stared back at him.

Gaara left as pain hit him as Gai told them to wait for the finals, and he turned to speak to them.

"All the same, I am going to kill you, I will kill you all."

As Naruto left with Fenrix and headed back to the fortress home of his, the senior Dragon Ascendant spoke to his student.

"I heard everything, but before you get any ideas, I think that you already have people who care for you. Sakura, Iruka, and Kakashi, Master Valen, the Hokage, and maybe even Sasuke. They are the people who gave you the chance to walk away from your personal hell, Gaara didn't have that, and look at him, those people are important to you Naruto, am I right?"

"Yes they are."

"So you must fight for them, for their sake, not for yourself, remember the things you've learned, and remember what Haku said to you."

Naruto remembered quickly what Haku said about how people gained true strength by fighting for others, and that steeled him to train even harder, if ever he would face Gaara, e would not hesitate to fight him with all he got at this moment and time.

--------

Elsewhere…

"Where have you been Gaara…we've been looking for you!"

Kankurou asked his youngest brother when he showed up, just as they were getting a very bad feeling about what was going to happen if he was out of sight…but he was back and seemed to be no worse for wear.

"None of your business."

Kankurou sighed and kept his cool, knowing that no matter how angry he would get, he was no match for Gaara. Temari sighed as she looked at both her brothers and wondered how it had come to this…they were here not to truly win the Chuunin Exams, but to help the Sound defeat and crush Konoha…the village that they were allied with, and so many died for this peace…the situation was so wrong to her…but there was reasons as well. The feudal lord of Wind Country ordered military cutbacks…forcing her village to downsize their forces and lose a lot of missions that could truly help them in many ways and matters that should be in the hands of her village were handed to the people in Konoha, and that made them weaker in power and influence…that was the reason…why Gaara was born as well, they had to go for quality shinobi instead of quantity. But now they were going back into war…under the order of her father…and the outcome…

Temari sighed as she looked out the window…things were going to be very bad news now.

--------

Days later…

The village of Konoha was currently getting ready for the coming second half of the Chuunin exams. And it seemed that things were well on their way to getting very loud and entertaining at the moment. However, there were some new things that were being discussed in hushed tones by the villagers, namely concerning a certain blonde Genin who had just discovered his own Kekkai Genkai.

Many of the villagers were making rude comments and saying that stuff was just garbage and there was no way a guy like Naruto would have a Kekkai Genkai. The villagers however were getting rather curious on how the soon to come matches would turn out, many talked about the coming match between Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara of the Sand, to them, that was the kind of fight they were looking forward to….not the fight of the blonde Genin and many of those who were against Naruto thought that he would be beaten down.

They had no idea how wrong they were…

Naruto was busy training long and hard deep within his underground fortress like residence as he was being taught by not just Fenrix, but by Jiraiya as well. The meeting between the Sannin and the blonde ninja did not go well at first, but they were getting along well enough as Jiraiya and Fenrix had a respect for one another….and much to Naruto's shock and surprise, his mentor Fenrix, like Kakashi was fan of the Icha Icha novels.

All throughout his training, he was unaware that while his blood had finally adapted to the powers, his body had not, Fenrix knew this and trained Naruto hard as he knew that Naruto's growth spurt was already taking effect as he was growing taller and stronger than before as his body was being magically adjusted to suit his powers. The changes included a loss of all baby fat and replaced with lean but rock hard muscle, increase in height and also his face began to change into that of a more mature and handsome person. Jiraiya noted that and Naruto could have sworn that the Pervy Sage said something that sounded like he was going to be as handsome as his old man.

He however was so focused on his training that he did not notice and he was enjoying the training as he slowly but surely began to adapt to using not just Wind, but Fire, Water, Lightning, and Earth. He knew that he was to give his all at the moment and he couldn't wait to see what other lessons Jiraiya might give him. The Pervy Sage tested Naruto's use of the Kage Bushin and also his Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, and Taijutsu skills and despite his thoughts on the Sannin being a perverted old man, he was happy with the training.

Jiraiya himself was interested in giving Naruto the contract of Frog Summoning, but waited for a better time to train him as his new Kekkai Genkai had to develop first. At the end of the month, he would teach Naruto just how to summon Toads, and he was looking forward to the results of this meeting between Gamabunta and Naruto.

It was during his training that Naruto wished he could use the ultimate move of Elemental Manipulation….

However, during an exercise with his Kage Bushin, the blonde had an idea on a new Jutsu that he could incorporate into battle.

--------

The day of the semi finals of the Chuunin exams…

As the crowds gathered and were now filling the area where the coming Chuunin exams were going to start, Naruto left the compound of his home and was wearing a cloak with his new Clan symbol, the five Elements in Dragon form surrounding the symbol of Konoha, he decided to pay a visit to the old training round, ignoring some of the comments heading at his direction, namely sent by young women.

As he arrived there, he was surprised to see none other than Hinata herself, he was not expecting her here, but he decided to call her attention.

"Hinata!"

Hinata turned and she blushed bright red as she found herself looking at a very handsome young man with deep blue eyes and deep blonde hair that resembled the color of gold, wheat and the sun itself, she felt her heart race and wonder just who was before her.

"W-Who are you? H-How do you know my name?'

"It's me Naruto."

"Naruto? Is that you?"

"Yep."

"B-B-But it can't be…I mean?"

"Why? Do I look ugly or something?"

"N-N-No! But you look so…handsome I thought you…."

Hinata blushed to the point that her face was bright red as she realized just what she had just said but she could not help herself as Naruto looked so handsome that she felt like he was a God in human form at this moment and time.

"Hey thanks, I don't look at a mirror all that much, but if you say so, then it's true. So, how are you feeling?"

Hinata managed to look at Naruto and replied.

"I-I-I-I'm feeling a lot better N-N-Naruto-kun, the doctors said I should be careful but I'll be fine, I hope to see you in action soon."

"Count on it, I am going to make Neji regret ever making all those remarks towards you."

"Thank you, I-I want to say, t-thank you."

"For what Hinata?"

"F-F-For what you said before in the Tower, I knew I would not be able to beat Neji-san. I was always shy and meek, I never had confidence before, even if I trained hard, I was always afraid of losing, of giving my all, but you…when I looked at you, and heard what you said to me to stand up for myself, I felt…I felt so alive and so strong, to know that you were right beside me."

"Hinata."

"I felt like I could fight to the limit and I was worth something. I might have lost, but I felt that I have changed, changed for the better, thanks to you. So I have no doubt you can win Naruto-kun!"

Naruto smiled and spoke to Hinata.

"Thanks, you know something Hinata, I have to tell you what I think of you."

Hinata gasped as she felt her body tense up and her heart beat even faster at the moment as she waited in anticipation.

"W-W-What is it Naruto-kun?"

(What is it you want to say?! Do you like me?! Please…I have to know!!!)

"You know, back then I always thought of you as…"

(What…please…tell me what you thought of me Naruto-kun…I…please I must not faint!!! I have to know!!!)

Hinata felt her heart race at the expectation of what she had long waited for Naruto to say to her…she wanted to know.

"That you were a weird, timid and odd girl."

Hinata felt downcast and wondered of her shyness had finally caught up with her and she wondered if this was what Naruto truly thought of her and she felt even sadder.

However, her thoughts of sadness disappeared as Naruto spoke.

"But now I see you as a kind, strong hearted, brave, and talented person…and I happen to like that a lot, I like people who are like that and seeing you fight was impressive. No matter what anyone says, you will grow up to be a great ninja someday, don't lose faith and keep it up Hinata."

Hinata blushed bright red at the praise and her sadness vanished as she could see that Naruto meant every word to her.

"T-T-Thank you N-N-Naruto-kun."

Naruto smiled.

"No problem, see you at the finals Hinata!"

As Naruto left, Hinata was still blushing as she twiddled her fingers and felt her heart race and her feelings swelled.

(He said it! Naruto-kun likes me!!!!)

As he made his way to the building, he was able to enter despite some problems at the entrance due to the Chuunin there who guarded the doors, as soon as he proved that he was Naruto, he made his way in and was greeted by Fenrix and Jiraiya who were eager to see this fight and show his newly created special ability..

As soon as he entered the ring, he removed his cloak and was dressed in black pants, with orange stripes and wore a simple black and orange striped shirt and vest with the same clan symbol at the back, he ignored the stares, including the one from Temari and focused on the soon to come fight.

--------

In the ring…

As the two faced once another….Naruto was more than eager for the soon to come fight, he was going to make sure that by the end of this round, he was going to beat the holy hell out of Neji and give him the beating he deserves for looking down on people's dreams and aspirations to be better and stronger, as well as proving to others that they were going to able to make themselves into stronger and better people.

The crowds were expecting this fight to be easy for Neji and then they could actually see Gaara and Sasuke face off once Naruto was defeated, some admired the fact that he got this far but they felt that he was going to be easily defeated by Neji. While many of the women were surprised at how handsome Naruto was at the moment, even Sakura and Ino were impressed.

Naruto was focused in the battle and was now ready to give Neji the sound beating he deserved for his words, but for the moment, he wanted to see just what Neji was capable of unleashing with the Byakugan and the Gentle Fist at the moment, so for now, he was going to let the people think that this fight was going to be simple. He however was not going to let Neji think he was going to have this fight in the bag just yet.

Neji however was not that confident, despite his calm stance at the moment, he was cautious in attacking Naruto directly as Naruto's abilities were making him a deadly foe at the moment.

"Begin!!"

The moment the Jonin proctor Genma said that, Naruto quickly attacked with several kunai, one Neji caught and used that to block the incoming attacks, but Naruto was quick to attack and unleashed several fast punches and while Neji evaded them and used his Byakugan to attack Naruto, however Naruto was quick on the uptake and quickly moved out of the way and launched a powerful spinning kick at the side and Neji managed to block the attack, but Naruto was not going to let him get away so easily just yet as he quickly recovered and leaped over Neji and as he landed he turned and launched out a swipe kick the Neji leaped over.

Naruto however followed up with a reverse spinning back kick that hit Neji in the stomach…making the Hyuuga clan member realize that while Naruto was not using his full power, even so he was not someone he could afford to take lightly. The two engaged in several hand to hand combat attacks and while Neji tried to use his Gentle Fist, Naruto was not going to make it the least bit easy for Neji to score a direct hit at the moment.

The fight proved to be a winning one and the crowds watched as Neji and Naruto were fighting their best in the moment before them, for every kick Naruto unleashed as well as every punch, Neji was able to counter, but even then, the speed and power of Naruto's attacks were very good as Neji had to strain his Byakugan to the limits to even things up at the moment. His attacks were getting better, but Naruto countered with quick and effective movements using his hands and arms to block Neji's attack and also his legs to block in effect Neji's kicks.

Naruto unleashed several kunai and shuriken that Neji easily evaded and the two attacked once more and Neji threw several kicks at Naruto, but Naruto leaped away and did a spinning back hand upside down that Neji managed to block and he attacked with a back kick that Naruto blocked in retaliation and when he landed, the blonde Genin launched a powerful series of kicks at Neji who blocked as best he could.

(Not bad….even when not using his powers, he is more than capable of fighting, this fight is going to be a lot longer than I thought, but since he is not using that power, I can beat him with those jutsu. You might have trained long and hard Naruto, and I respect that, but fate cannot be changed, I will win this fight because destiny is on my side.)

As the two separated, Neji attacked with his Gentle Fist and managed to hit Naruto, but Naruto countered the attack by moving backward and grabbing Neji's hand and pulling back ward and landing a powerful elbow into Neji's body which Neji blocked with his other hand, Naruto countered with a powerful rising knee attack which hit Neji in the stomach, Neji however countered with several palm strikes that forced Naruto back….and this was when he made his move.

"Hakkesho Kaiten!!!!"

Neji rotated his body and unleashed a powerful sphere that knocked Naruto back and as soon as Naruto recovered, Neji was not going to finish as he attacked with yet another Hyuuga Clan special attack. Hiashi was impressed and saw how Neji was able to use such techniques that were never taught to him due to being a Branch family member. His daughter Hanabi thought the very same thing as well as her cousin was proving to be a lot better than she thought, but she too was impressed by Naruto's moves, but the second move seemed to guarantee Neji's victory.

"Hakke Rokujuyon Sho!"

Naruto got hit so many times that it seemed that he was going to be knocked out and Naruto moved down to his knees and Neji couldn't help but be impressed at how Naruto fought, he had managed to pull out several hits and the two Hyuuga Clan moves and now it seemed that he would win in the end.

"You fought well Naruto-san, but you have lost."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Accept it, I don't know why you didn't use that ability you showed before in the Preliminaries, but now without your chakra, you can't use it at all. Fate is unchanging and losers cannot be able to change, that is the will of fate."

"Screw that fate and destiny crap! What makes you think that is all true anyway?"

"You really want to know? Very well, take me for example."

"What are you talking about this time?"

Neji then removes the Konoha forehead protector and there on his forehead was a seal in the shape of an X. Naruto looked at it as Neji spoke.

"I had this disgusting mark on me when I was merely four years old and so did my father Hizashi since his own birth. My father was born after Hinata's own father Hiashi and as clan laws dictated…he was relegated to be a member of the branch family….The Hyuuga clan are of two parts…and the Branch Family's fate and destiny are to be the ones who would protect the main branch…I was unaware of it at first…until I saw how they treated my father and me…how we were always relegated to other tasks despite our own talents. This cursed seal was always used for those of the Branch Family who were always destined to be nothing more than shields for the Main Family. This seal was given to me by them on the day when Konoha and the Country of Lightning signed a valuable peace treaty after a war between them and an alliance, a celebration was held that day. The head ninja of the Hidden Village of the Cloud was Lightning Country's representative…the Hyuuga were the only clan not present since it was Hinata's third birthday…and the same day I was branded with this seal."

"Both my father and Hiashi were twins and my father hated the Main Family and never respected them…on the day my uncle was training Hinata and he was able to best her…my father prepared to fight with Hinata to see how much she had grown…but Hiashi activated the seal on my father and my father suffered from it…the seal prevent members of the Branch Family from attacking the Main by limiting their Byakugan and injuring their minds and bodies. Hiashi then told him to never defy his fate as a Branch Family member. That seal protected the Byakugan Bloodline through death…for the seal only disappeared in death."

"One night…Hinata was kidnapped and Hiashi was able to save her and kill the man responsible…and that man was the head ninja of Hidden Cloud…the Lightning Country then stated that Konoha violated the treaty and they demanded the lead of the Hyuuga Clan in exchange for the death of their head ninja…in time the relationship broke down and Konoha gave into the demand of Lighting…but the didn't give Hiashi…they gave my father Hizashi instead…they gave them my father because he was the second born and was fated to die in Hiashi's place…"

Neji then placed back on the forehead protector and then glared at Naruto who glared right back at him.

"The day my father died was the day I learned the truth of life Naruto and I know it to be true! The only truth is…there are those few who are predetermined to be great…I know you're dreams of being Hokage…but you are not going to make it…only those who are predestined can be Hokage…there's only true fate that binds all of us…and that's death…no one can escape that…and all because my father died as a member of the Branch family of the Hyuuga for the sake of the Head Family as it was his destiny and fate as a Branch Family member."

"And now…you're fate has been decided since you became my foe in this match."

Hiashi heard everything…and he knew just what it was that Neji spoke of…in his heart Neji still cursed and hated the Main Family…and he knew why Neji hated them…after all, they did agree to having Hizashi killed in his place…but there was far more to that than even Neji realized…he wanted to tell him the truth…but he doubted Neji would ever listen to him…he had every reason to not listen after all.

Naruto however was not convinced and replied.

"You can tell me that, but nothing will change the fact that I will not lose to you and there is no such thing as a fate you cannot escape, at least I have the courage to fight and defy fate, what about you Neji, still too much a coward to face fate? At least Hinata and Lee had the courage to face and fight for what they dream for, unlike you who hides behind this crappy thought of fate being inescapable."

Neji was getting very angry and made that very well known.

"You know nothing! No matter how hard you train and no matter how hard you dream for it, you can never gain it…because all people are born with an inescapable fate and destiny…only those chosen by fate and destiny can ever be Hokage. And you know nothing about how it feels to carry a mark like this one on me for the rest of your life! I am cursed for all eternity and nothing can change that!"

Naruto however got up and to Neji's shock summoned his chakra once more.

" Spare me your idle prattle and garbage Neji. Now that we're done playing around, we can get serious."

"How?"

"You think I let you get those hits for the fun of it Neji? I just wanted to see just what you were capable of doing with both the Byakugan and the gentle Fist for real, and not that I know just what you are able to do, now is the right time to get serious!"

Naruto got into a combat stance and then unleashed his special ability.

"DRAGON KING BLOOD! RELEASE!!! WIND!!!!"

Neji watched at the tattoos were finally showing themselves and the sight of Naruto being surrounded by Wind made him move back and this got the crowd right by their pants, they had thought that Naruto was done for despite the amazing fight and spirit he displayed before, but now it seemed that the blonde ninja was about to show what he was about to do.

And Naruto did not disappoint as he attacked with several powerful tunnels of Wind and sent those slamming hard into Neji's defense and sent the boy away. Naruto did the same and Neji evaded the attack and charged at Naruto, intent on finishing the fight quickly but if he thought he would be able to attack Naruto up close and attack with the Hakke Rokujuyon Sho once more. He was wrong as Naruto beat him to the second.

Naruto attacked at the same time but with an even greater speed, using the Wind to propel him even faster to close in to attack Neji and he struck with a simple kick. Neji blocked, but paid dearly for it as the Wind appeared on Naruto's leg and sent him back with several tears on the clothes and some cuts on his skin, not enough to draw blood, but to hurt well enough.

Naruto was far from done as he attacked with several blasts of Wind and then moved in and launched a punch and As Neji evaded and prepared to strike, Naruto quickly flipped over Neji and landed his own palm strikes into Neji's back and sent him to the ground. Neji turned and coughed a bit as he felt pain on his body at the moment and spoke to Naruto.

"You were baiting me the whole time."

Naruto nodded and then spoke with confidence.

"Oh yes, I don't have to attack at long range all the time, as you have found out, my abilities also work well in close combat. Besides Neji, what makes you think Wind is the ONLY element I can throw at you?"

"What?!"

"LIGHTNING!!!"

Neji could only watch as the tattoos on Naruto's body transformed and resembled spheres of lighting and lightning bolts and Naruto's body was suddenly releasing lightning bolts all over himself. Naruto then raised his arm and then to the shock of the people above, black lightning clouds appeared in the sky and then a massive current of pure, raw elemental lightning in lightning bolt form lanced down with a massive boom and landed on Naruto, without even harming him and then with a pointing of two fingers, Naruto unleashed the bolt of lightning right at Neji.

Neji managed to roll away and he couldn't help but feel his nerves tingle and his skin seemed to be alive as even though he had evaded the strike, the very air was filled with lightning even as the clouds above vanished as quickly as they came.

Naruto decided to taunt Neji the same way he taunted Hinata to give him a taste of his own medicine.

"You want to try that Gentle Fist of yours on me again Neji? Let me show you just how bad an idea that is."

Naruto did so are he was covered in an aura of pure lightning like a suit of elemental armor and he spoke once more.

"If even one finger of yours touches me, I can hit you with enough lightning to either stun you or cook you alive, how do you plan on beating me?"

"How can you do that?!"

"This is my Kekkai Genkai Neji, I can manipulate all FIVE elements with equal skill and apart from increased physical abilities, I have the ability to be nearly impossible to harm with blades as you already know, but to drive this home…I am also given a higher resilience to injury and to paralysis and even illusion techniques, it means I am immune to Genjutsu and even to a degree, your vaunted Gentle Fist, and you know why, despite how effective it is, you're going to need greater physical strength to use it on me and you don't have it! And that makes your chosen fighting style useless on me. But mine is more than a match for yours."

Neji was stunned and so was everyone else in the ring, Naruto however was not going to give up yet as he attacked and dropped his Lightning Aura and attacked with his Taijutsu and revealed another frightening aspect of his powers to Neji as his punch landed on Neji as Neji was still unable to fight back, he screamed in shock as he was hit by bolts of lightning that quickly stunned him and he was able to move back.

(This is not good! He's able to stun me with just a single punch and I can't attack him, I have to do something fast!)

Neji took out a kunai to give him some defense but Naruto was quick to disable that idea as he focused his lightning into his right hand and to Neji's surprise and that of everyone else, the lightning solidified into a sword of pure lightning and with one strike, Naruto cut the kunai quite easily, however the technique seemed to be imperfect as the lightning quickly dispersed as Naruto landed on the ground from his leap.

The Hyuuga member managed to keep his distance but was treated to yet another surprise as Naruto merely shouted another command.

"WATER!!!!"

The tattoos on Naruto's body shifted once more at the command and resembled streams, rivers, and waves of blue color and Naruto was now using water as spheres of liquid were there on his hands and he then unleashed from the air itself a massive wave of pure water that slammed hard into Neji, drenching him and sending him flying. Neji barely got to his feet as Naruto attacked and while Neji tried to use a sweep kick to knock Naruto down, the blonde ninja kicked upward and Neji watched as a whip of pure hard Water smacked him right in the face and sent him flying to the other side.

He got up and looked to see Naruto smiling the whole time; Naruto was enjoying this fight greatly and planned to show off even more of his abilities in combat. He finally decided to unleash yet another element.

"EARTH!!!!"

Neji looked as Naruto's tattoos morphed once more to take the form of fissures, hills, mountains, and the brown/green color of Earth and then he moved away as Naruto unleashed several walls of pure Earth from the ground with a mere gesture from his hands and he sent the walls at Neji, Neji managed to evade the attacks but he was not given a respite as Naruto attacked with and unleashed a powerful trio of waves made of Earth to imbalance Neji and he landed several kicks to Neji and knocked him back.

"FIRE!!!!"

Naruto's tattoos now resembled flame and was of a deeper red color and he unleashed spinning whips of flame at Neji and Neji got his leg burned a bit and he gritted at the pain and managed to roll away as Naruto unleashed several waves of fire by doing the same move as he had done with Lightning and fired a trio of tongues of flame at Neji.

Neji then realized that Naruto could only use one Element at a time and he calmed himself and tried to find a way to beat Naruto hard. But he was also cautious, he knew that he would have to find some way of hitting Naruto's body hard enough to use the signature Hakke Rokujuyon Sho once more.

--------

In the crowd…

"Damn! I hate to say it, but that was way cool!"

Kiba said and Akamaru barked in agreement, while Hinata was utterly impressed by how things were turning out.

(Naruto-kun, you are so amazing!!!)

"That was, man I never knew Naruto would get this good in a month."

Sakura had to agree with Ino as the two looked on as Naruto was thrashing Neji around like a dog would maul a chew toy.

"Neji is getting really hurt, man, this Naruto is really pouring it on."

Tenten hated to admit this,. But it seemed that Neji had picked a foe that his Byakugan and gentle Fist was useless against, seeing Naruto manipulate Wind got her worried at first, but she knew Neji's special move could counter that, but when Naruto unleashed his power over Lightning and now Water, her thoughts began to change.

Hiashi could only look on in growing amazement as Naruto was busy pounding the very life out of Neji, seeing Naruto stand up to the Hakkesho Kaiten and the Hakke Rokujuyon Sho without ill effect was surprising, but this was something else entirely.

The Chuunin were speaking rapidly to one another and the Jonin were also talking with one another as they saw the power Naruto was displaying at the moment, the villagers were also chatting but many were hooked at this fight at the moment.

A masked ANBU couldn't help but look on at the sight before him.

"How the heck did he do that?! Only the Nidaime was capable of using Water Jutsu without a water source!"

One of the ANBU said as he and his companions looked on. The captain however replied.

"That was no water Jutsu, he is using water differently, he did not use any hand seals and I think, no matter how crazy this sounds, he was able to pull water from the air itself."

--------

In the Hokage's viewing area…

Sarutobi couldn't help but smile at the sight, Naruto had gone far even though he had only a month's worth of training.

"Who is this young man?"

Sarutobi turned to the Kazekage and replied.

"Naruto Uzumaki, who has an amazing Kekkai Genkai, and despite his tender age, is head of his own clan here in Konoha, you saw his new Clan symbol of five Dragons surrounding the Konoha symbol. He is relatively new in his powers, but he is growing….I have a feeling that he might even surpass all the noble families and their own Kekkai Genkai."

"I see…"

(Naruto-kun, where did you get this power? You did not have this when you were in the forest and it is certainly not the Kyuubi's power, you are interesting.)

--------

Naruto smiled as he finally revealed his special ace in the hole…he had been training in secret with this jutsu ever since he had discovered that the Kage Bushin he would normally make could also carry his powers AND that meant that they could use his ability to change the Elements that they were able to wield. He had thought it over and wondered if it could work, he had presented the idea to Fenrix and the senior Dragon Ascendant had to admit the move was very ingenious….

And even the Pervy Sage Jiraiya was impressed by the move and said that what he had planned was taking the use of Kage Bushin to a whole new level. It had been a very hard run to master the style and how to properly use attacks that could work well in conjunction with what he had in mind….it had taken him weeks to master some basic maneuvers

"Here's my special trick….and this is what I have been training in when I use my Kekkai Genkai….I hope you're ready for this."

"KAGE BUISHIN NO JUTSU!!!!"

Naruto created several clones and there were now since there were five opponents before Neji in the ring, Neji wanted know just what Naruto was up to at the moment and he decided to speak.

"Kage Bushin, despite that being a Jonin technique, that jutsu is no Kekkai Genkai…"

Naruto was smirking however; he had been training with this for some time now and now was the time for him to keep his promise.

"No, not on its own, but the Kage Bushin are my aides. I have yet to fully master the ability to manipulate the Elements to the point I can use all five together, but with the Kage Bushin, I came up with the next best thing! DRAGON KING BLOOD! RELEASE!!!! FIRE!!!!"

One by one, each of the Kage Bushin spoke the same phrase….but instead of the same Element that Naruto spoke…they spoke the OTHER four elements.

"DRAGON KING BLOOD! RELEASE!!! WIND!!!"

'DRAGON KING BLOOD! RELEASE!!! EARTH!!!"

"DRAGON KING BLOOD! RELEASE!!! WATER!!!"

"DRAGON KING BLOOD! RELEASE!!! LIGHTING!!!"

The four other Kage Bushin were quick to be covered with the tattoos but the four were armed with different tattoos and to the amazement of everyone in the ring and in the Hokage Box….Naruto was now carrying a full burning flame in both hands, and feet, while the other Kage Bushin were wielding either vortexes of wind, orbs of crackling lightning, flowing springs of water, and chunks if earth floating about.

The gasps and comments on what they were seeing at the moment filled the whole ring as the people of Konoha, the dignitaries, ninjas, and the feudal lords. What they were seeing was utterly unheard of at the moment.

Naruto and the other Kage Bushin grinned as they all looked at Neji who was looking the assembled force and he was stunned at that moment and the blonde Genin replied with a very satisfied smile as he got into position. And the Kage Bushin did the same and as soon as the position was set….it resembled the Elemental chakra table usually seen in the Academy.

Naruto who was currently using Fire Elemental Manipulation was in the lead followed by the Kage Bushin using Wind Elemental Manipulation, then by the Kage Bushin using Lightning Elemental Manipulation, who was then followed by the Kage Bushin using Earth Elemental Manipulation, and lastly by the Kage Bushin using Water Elemental Manipulation.

"Like what you see….this is my personally created Elemental Kage Bushin Formation Jutsu! This is my personal Jutsu and only I can do it!!!! I said I was going to beat you…and now I intend to do just that!!!!"

The five attacked Neji and Neji was quickly on the defensive and tried to fire a number of shuriken, but the Kage Bushin who controlled Earth quickly raised his hands and out of nowhere came a massive wall of Earth that blocked the shuriken and Neji looked up as the Kage Bushin using Wind came from the wall of hardened Earth and attacked him with a powerful pair of Wind in spheres that forced him to move away but Neji had no time to respond when the Earth wall suddenly surged forward like water and the pillar slammed right into him.

"AAAUUUUGGGGHH!!!!"

Neji used his arms to block but he was sent back as a flat pillar of Earth slammed hard into him and forced him hack Neji had no time to relax just yet as another Kage Bushin came right at him with a pair of shuriken and he was able to evade them, but before he could make an attack, this one revealed that it was the one who controlled Water and he merely moved his hands and began unleashing whips of pure hard Water and Neji tried to block, but the Kage Bushin was able to soften the water and it splashed into Neji…it was actually a trick and Neji got hit hard by the other Water tendril which was hard and hit like a whip and send him reeling.

He barely had enough time before Naruto who still wielded Fire was joined by the Kage Bushin who was controlling Wind and the two then forced their hands forward and unleashed a combined blast of Fire and Wind and Neji quickly realized that he was facing serious danger as there was no way he could withstand a combined attack from both Fire and Wind as the massive vortex of fire and wind hit the area before him.

The Hyuuga Branch member barely had time to breath as he barely avoided a massive blast of pure lightning from his side as the Lighting wielding Kage Bushin unleashed powerful arcs of lighting from his arm at that moment. Even so….Neji did NOT get away scot free. Before he could fully escape, the Kage Bushin leaped forward and in a spinning flip brought down a spinning back heel kick that was covered in pure lighting and Neji got hit hard on the side of his body and sent flying back….

Neji gasped as he was covered in crippling lightning that stunned him considerably, but was not going to get a break as he was suddenly hit from the back and sent flying into the air as the Earth Kage Bushin fired a pillar of solid Earth from below Neji and sent him flying upward and then the Hyuuga was unable to counter as Naruto came in with his fists and feet covered in flames and unleashed a powerful barrage of punches and kicks that hit Neji hard and following uppercut and sent the Hyuuga flying once more.

The water wielding Kage Bushin came into play as he leaped upward and unleashed a massive wave of water that turned into a massive hand which grabbed Neji and swung him around the ring and then released him and sent Neji sliding on the earth and when he stopped….he coughed out some blood and he looked to see Naruto and all four of his Element wielding Kage Bushin moving in formation and he couldn't help but try to get to his feet.

Naruto growled and spoke to Neji.

"So? Had enough?"

Neji was not going to give up as he got back to his feet, he was not going to give up at all at the moment, however, Naruto was not the kind to let things go easily and he decided to take it up a notch and he nodded to all his Kage Bushin and then to Neji and everyone else's surprise….the Earth Wielding Kage Bushin became Fire, The Fire Wielding Naruto now wielded Water, the Wind Wielding Kage Bushin became Earth and the Lighting Wielding Kage Bushin became Wind….this effectively made Naruto and his Kage Bushin switch places and since Neji could not tell which was the real Naruto due to the Kage Bushin having the same chakra and making his ability to see even harder where was the real Naruto at the moment.

Naruto however was not giving up yet as he shouted another command.

"KAGE BUSHIN NO JUTSU!!!!"

Yet another group of Kage Bushin came on the scene….this time there were ten of them and sure enough ht newly summoned Kage Bushin shouted the same Dragon King Blood Release command and they were quickly covered by the tattoos and using different Elements…

Neji now found himself surrounded by a much larger number of Kage Bushin at the moment and all of them were wielding a different element and were ready and eager for a fight. The Hyuuga couldn't help but see himself surrounded by those Kage Bushin who were wielding Fire, Wind, Water, Earth and Lightning. He didn't know what to do at this point and time and before he could do anything…

All of them charged at him and he got ready to defend himself but before he could do so….three Kage Bushin wielding Earth hit him with several Earth based attacks….the first included a flying wall of earth, the second several large chunks of earth powerful enough to crush bones and pulp flesh, and the other one was a number of Earth tendrils….Neji managed to evade most of them but his injuries made his reaction time even slower as he was hit by a part of the wall and sent rolling back as the three Wind wielding Kage Bushin attacked in tandem and he was sent flying into the sky with a pillar of wind and Neji was thrashed about, left and right and then three Kage Bushin wielding Water moved upward, being able to fly with the use of water to propel them upwards and then all three unleashed a powerful wall of water that slammed hard into Neji and sent him down to the ground.

Neji tried to get up as he was soaked in water and as he did so….he look up and got a full blow to the face with a lighting covered uppercut and was only able to scream in pain as his body was stunned by the attack and he saw two of the same Lighting wielding Kage Bushin making their move…one leaped over the shoulders of the one that gave him the upper cut and kicked him solidly in the chest and sent him flying back….and the third did the same and followed him in mid flight and flipped in flight to deliver a powerful reverse heel kick covered in Lightning that sent him crashing down to the ground once more.

The crowd could only watch in shock while the other Jonin were very much surprised.

"Incredible….to be able to use all five Elements without hand seals, not mention being able to shrug off that many injuries and hit with even greater force, speed,, stamina, and recovery. I guess my father was not kidding when he said that Naruto's Kekkai Genkai was unique."

Asuma said as he took a fresh cigarette and looked at the sight of Neji being beaten so easily at the moment….when the fight had started it turned from a supposed one sided battle into a powerful free for all fight that was impressive to the core as Naruto fought with a skill that was against the image of him being the class clown. As the fight grew more intense, it seemed that Neji had the chance when he used the special attack of the Hyuuga Main Branch Family….but Naruto not only survived it but shrugged off the effects without any damage and then used his Kekkai Genkai…and this was the result.

"I agree….this is certainly not the Naruto many of us knew back in the day."

Kurenai replied as she gazed at the situation before her….Hinata would no doubt have been impressed as well in her mind as she looked at Naruto who was standing defiant, surrounded by his Kage Bushin who wielded the Elements easily and were more than capable in inflicting massive damage and attacks on Neji at the moment. She was impressed by the way Naruto had fought with Neji and wondered just what sort of training had he been undergoing for the past month to be at THIS level of ability. This was on Kekkai Genkai that in her mind was proving to give even the noble Hyuuga clan's Kekkai Genkai a beating.

The other Chuunin and Jonin were also impressed, at the rate this fight was turning out, Naruto was proving to be more than a match for Neji. If Neji attacked, he would be able to cut or hit Naruto hard enough due to the fact that Naruto's body is a lot harder than normal and was a lot stronger, and Naruto could use the Elements as shields to protect himself in combat….further adding a high degree of ability for the blonde Genin.

His attacks were also deadly as since his Kekkai Genkai allowed him to control elements without hand seals and without harming him, this allowed him to use the elements to further increase his combat damage and the results were obvious with some of Naruto's attacks on Neji, namely the ones where his arms and legs were covered in Lightning as attacks from that had a stunning effect on Neji's body as the energy sent his nerves on haywire…and even forced Neji to stop using the Byakugan.

Hiashi himself was very much surprised by the results….like all the Clan heads, he had balked at the idea of Naruto being the head of his own Clan as such a thing has never happened before in so many years, and he too did not like Naruto all that much, as he too was familiar with Naruto's dark secret. Hiashi also knew of his daughter's long time crush on Naruto for some time as despite his attitude towards Hinata he did keep tabs on her. When he found out that she was attracted to Naruto he was displeased but made no move to stop it….hearing as Hinata would train her best to get not just his approval, but Naruto's own approval and recognition as well.

Now that he saw Naruto's Kekkai Genkai in action against Neji, he couldn't help but feel a bit threatened. This ability was totally unheard of….this Kekkai Genkai descended from the blood some mythical creature that supposedly visited their village and granted it's power to Naruto and many of the clan heads and the ninja, many of them thought of it as something that would be nothing more than a jutsu….but after all he had seen….this was different.

Naruto wasted no time and quickly closed the distance and so did all fourteen of his Kage Bushin, Neji decided to take one last shot at defeating Naruto, but that was not going to work as all the Kage Bushin vanished instantly!

"What?!"

Neji tried to react at that moment but he was too late as the real Naruto who had secretly burrowed his way underground with the use of Earth, making a fifteenth Kage Bushin to take his place and had been able to evade the Byakugan and as soon as he leaped out, he unleashed a powerful right hook that finally sent Neji flying and then he flipped and attacked the a reverse spinning heel kick that hit Neji right in the head, and that was enough to sent Neji to the ground… hitting the ground with a bang as he coughed out blood.

The real Naruto glared and was far from done as he lifted Neji by the neck, and he began to choke the Hyuuga clan member and glared at him and readied a fist.

"You tried to kill Hinata with one strike, I think I should give you same experience to be fair, now die!"

Genma tried to move in but seeing how Naruto had easily demolished Neji, he was more cautious.

Hiashi looked on and felt worried as he was about to see Neji be killed.

Neji couldn't help but feel that this was the end…

But in truth, Naruto stopped his fist a mere inch from Neji's face and he pulled it back and spoke.

"Do you apologize?"

"W-What?"

"I said I was going to beat an apology out of you for those comments you aimed at Hinata and to those whose dreams you tried to talk down, and now that you can barely stand I suggest you give me the apology I asked for."

"I…I…"

"Come on Neji….it's not that hard is it? Or are you too proud to say those words? Pride means nothing here, you're life is MY hands at this moment. How does it feel to know your life now hangs in the hand of one who used to me a failure?"

Naruto then released Neji and spoke to him as Neji to the ground.

"Do you know how many times I failed the Graduation Exams?"

Neji looked at Naruto who glared back at him and the blonde continued.

"I failed many times, and all because the one jutsu I couldn't master was the Bushin Jutsu….weird isn't it? I am able to make as many Kage Bushin that I want but I couldn't even make ONE Bushin back in the Academy."

"Let me tell you something Neji, you think I don't know what it means to carry a mark for the rest of your life? I do, I carry a burden that I have to live with for the rest of my days, but unlike you, I don't accept the fate handed down to me. Do you think you know the pain and grief of being cursed?! YOU KNOW NOTHING!!!!"

"You don't know what it feels like to know that every time you turn your back, people call you a monster, demon, idiot, and worse. You don't know how it feels to have them look at you as if they wished you were never even born! You have no idea how lonely, isolating, and depressing it feels to know that every day you have to go back home and be alone for the rest of your life!"

"I had to live like that for twelve long years! You didn't have to, you're a Hyuuga, one of the noble family even if you are one of the Branch family. Everyone only has to hear your name and they look at you with respect and admiration, you were BORN with that talent and ability. You didn't have to claw and fight your way out of the dirt be where you are, you didn't have to try and fight to prove you are more than everyone thinks you to be. Not like me!! Or Lee, or even Hinata even if she is a Hyuuga like you!!"

The villagers were silent, even the ones would have spoken against Naruto were rendered dumb, they had thought this battle would have been simply a defeat for Naruto and would be quick as they were eager to see Sasuke Uchiha in combat but the titanic battle they had witnessed had changed their minds. They had thought that Naruto was going to be easily beaten by Neji, despite his supposed Kekkai Genkai, which they laughed at and called it nothing but a weakness before the Byakugan of the Hyuuga. But now they were taking their words back, because not only did Naruto withstand and survive, but outright demolished Neji, who was last year' Number 1 Genin.

"Before My Kekkai Genkai awakened, I had few friends, and everyone treats me like dirt, like I am useless, like I am nothing but trash to be ignored. Not this time, I have made it here to this very ring, and now I have beaten you, the one who think fate cannot be changed. An old friend gave me a message and it taught me an important lesson. Fate is something that we make for ourselves. As long as I have the will to fight, the courage to stand, and to prove that I can break free from my chains, then fate or destiny is something I forge for myself. So don't you dare preach all that crap about destiny being set to me or anyone else because it's nothing but garbage. If one like me can be able to defy fate and destiny, stand tall and shake the very foundations of heaven itself, then what about you?"

Neji was silent as he saw a bird fly freely into the sky and he knew that he was defeated and spoke.

"I…I apologize."

"Good, now we're even."

Genma could tell that Naruto was done and spoke to the crowd.

"The winner is…Naruto Uzumaki."

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To be continued…

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Author's notes:

Well, this was done, and the reason for the delay was due to the blackout of the internet server here in my home town….things are getting to be very much back to normal at the moment. But this has allowed me to have time to focus on proper writing at the moment as I have been best by a number of situations and more that tested my patience. Not to mention the Ati-Atihan festival looming in the back ground has added to my concerns as guests will be filling into my home soon enough and my family have to play host to a large number of relatives and visitors….I just hope my home does not collapse at the weight!

Speaking of homes….what do you think of Naruto's brand new home?

Not too shabby eh?

I have to admit that I'm no architect so I had to design the place myself….but following the tradition of underground mansions, this went out rather well in my mind at least, I can have changes placed in soon enough though for now, that is the basic layout.

I borrowed some of the fighting styles of Avatar the Last Air Bender for Naruto's new fighting style which is Elemental Taijutsu. However, unlike Aang, Naruto can kill using the Elements while Aang avoids killing unless his friends are harmed.

In using Elemental Taijutsu, Naruto's Taijutsu skills are even greater as he can infuse elements into his attacks with devastating results, both in normal state and advanced, his normal punches and kicks can be amplified by the Element he commands.

If he uses Lightning in a normal state, it can stun and disable targets, and in a perfected state, it can slice through objects with highly powerful results, as well as shock the air and allow Naruto to call lightning storms into battle.

Fire can burn targets, incinerate them, and even melt through earth and melt metal if Naruto controls it properly, Wind can be used to knock people and objects back with explosive force, while perfected can slice through objects in a very fine level, Water can be used to overwhelm targets, and if perfected, can be used to freeze them solid, showing that Naruto's use of Water is not the same as Haku's Kekkai Genkai and unlike Water benders from Aang's world, he can pull water directly from either his own body or in the air itself making him similar to the Nidaime of Konoha.

Earth can be used for defense and even be used to form crystal armor if Naruto needs a secondary later of protection, as well as creating tremors and fissures in the Earth itself, as well as creating tendrils, pillars and walls of Earth to defend and attack with.

Another technique Naruto creates in the battle is his Rai-Ken or Lightning Sword, but since his control is limited and not fully matured, the sword dispersed quickly, given time, Naruto could easily master this ability to form solid weapons of not just Lightning, but the other elements as well.

The ultimate form of Naruto's Elemental Manipulation is the ability to combine all the Elements into a cohesive form, however, he does not have the experience and aptitude to do that, unlike his Dragon Ascendant sensei Fenrix, so he uses his Kage Bushin instead and while this does not allow him to use the Elements all at the same time, this allows him tactical flexibility and mobility as the Kage Bushin can also switch Elements like he can and attack in tandem with either each other or the real Naruto.

Also he is able to summon Gamabunta, but how did that turn out? We shall see in the coming chapters.

As you can see, Orochimaru was watching the whole thing and now he has developed a keen interest in Naruto and no doubt wants to use Naruto's blood to increase his powers and still get the Sharingan, so you can bet Naruto and Sasuke are going to be in for the fight of their lives soon enough as the invasion begins. How will Gaara stand up to Naruto in the next chapter and how will the Clans of Konoha react to seeing just a portion of Naruto's powers?

Wait and see!

For the time being, I will be working on the latest chapter of Naruto Deserted Island so expect an update for that story soon!!!


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto Dragon Ascendant.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Naruto.

Chapter 3

Demon of Sand VS Dragon of Konoha

( ): Thoughts

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The Arena…

As Naruto walked of the ring, he was greeted by cries and shouts of congratulations and more and he looked to see that the crowds were cheering the performance, he had proven to be more than anything they had pegged him for. There were still others who were not happy with him, but the rest were impressed, even the Jonin and Chuunin who were there were impressed and the other Clan heads were also looking with interest at Naruto.

It made him smile greatly at the results and he felt that he was now making his way to the dream he had long held close to his heart and when he saw the smiles of both Jiraiya and Fenrix, as well as Fenrix' nod of approval, he felt even more elated.

In the area where the other contestants were, they were having mixed reactions to the battle they had witnessed and saw Neji being escorted away by Medic Nin.

"How the heck did he do all that?!"

"Was that really his Kekkai Genkai?"

"Who would have thought he would have that kind of power of all people?"

Fenrix heard the murmurs quite easily and laughed a bit to himself in good jest and then directed his attention to his ward and student, he was very impressed with the way Naruto was able to offset his weakness at being unable to harmoniously combine the elements he commanded and how to use it to give him a very lethal and flexible tactical advantage in a fight.

"Not bad, not bad at all."

Jiraiya had to agree and then he got serious and spoke to the two of them.

"All right, I have a feeling Orochimaru had seen this and he will be very interested in getting his plans underway. You two will have to do what you can so we have time to prepare, I'll do talk with the Hokage and get things underway, you guys get ready for anything."

"Right."

With that out of the way for the time being, Jiraiya left and both Fenrix and Naruto moved to the viewing box for the other participants, Fenrix and Naruto stopped when the two of them heard someone call out to the two of them, and it was a certain young female voice.

"N-N-Naruto-kun!"

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Sakura couldn't help but feel something different in herself at the moment as she looked at Naruto who was walking with a triumphant smile on his face, she had recall his never say die attitude, that and coupled with his new found powers, meant that he was not going to the very same young kid she knew back then, not this time.

She heard the reactions of the crowd, namely by the younger females her or above her age.

"He's certainly different."

"No kidding, and he's gorgeous, I hope he won't mind if I ask to join his clan soon."

Ino likewise had heard the rumors and turned to Sakura and asked the pink haired team-mate of Naruto if what she heard about Naruto being the head of his own clan was true.

"Hey, is it really true that Naruto's head of his own clan?"

Sakura nodded a bit as she knew that according to Konoha law, a Kekkai Genkai user must be the head of the clan, it had been that way since the Hyuuga, and the Uchiha Clans had existed in Konoha's history. Naruto's Kekkai Genkai was very powerful and since he was the only known user of the style, it would make sense that he would be head of his own clan.

"I think so….why do you ask?"

"I think that would mean that he would have to find a wife in order to make that clan grow, I can wager a bet that he's going to be very busy once all this is over. That and the fact he's changed is certainly going to make him very popular."

Sakura had to admit that Ino had a point there and she couldn't help but witness how Naruto was moving about and bathing in the cheers and shouts. She couldn't help but feel some envy as she realized that compared to Sasuke and Naruto, she had little to offer the team she was with, but she was quick to relax and remember that she still had some good enough skills to place to good use..

She then wondered just where was Sasuke and Kakashi at the moment, they should have been here already and that made her very worried.

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In the hallway…

Naruto smiled at Hinata and spoke to the shy Hyuuga heiress.

"I see you've made it Hinata-san, how are you feeling?"

"I-I-I feel a bit better….but it still hurts a bit."

Fenrix however sensed that Hinata's injuries were a lot worse than they were and she needed proper medical treatment in order to be fully healed and he had an idea, he had brewed some healing potions in his free time as he was very knowledgeable about their creation the supplies they had in the mansion were enough to make a fair number of them. Dragon Ascendants usually used the potions to deal with some levels of injury that they couldn't withstand easily and the potion he had would be more than adequate in healing Hinata's injuries.

With that in mind, he took it out and handed it to Naruto. Naruto knew that it was and that was due to the fact that he had been present when the potion was made and he too had noted that Hinata didn't seem that fully healed.

Naruto looked at the potion handed to him by Fenrix to give to Hinata and he looked at his mentor and after seeing Fenrix give a smile, he nodded and gave the potion to Hinata. The potion was specially made as apart from training in the martial arts, as well as Elemental Manipulation, the senior Dragon Ascendant taught his student the art of potion making and provided him with the basic understanding of making special potions for healing and this potion was known as the Spirit of Life.

The potion resembled something that was deep red in color and comprised of a mixture of powerful herbs and liquids that the senior Ascendant knew were good for healing major wounds as he could see that Hinata had been badly injured and required the potion's powers at the moment and since Naruto's work was good enough for this kind of injury, there was nothing wrong with him giving it to Hinata.

Hinata took the large vial and wondered just what was inside of it.

"What is this N-Naruto-kun?"

"It'll help with your injuries Hinata, don't worry, it's perfectly safe."

Hinata nodded and removed the stopper and took a drink of the liquid and finished it, it had a sharp but pleasant taste and seemed to let some form of warmth flow through her body at the moment. And to her amazement, the wounds in her body have fully healed and she was back to being fit and strong again. The Hyuuga heiress smiled and sighed as she spoke to Naruto.

"T-T-Thank you so much Naruto-kun, I feel much better."

Naruto smiled at that and replied.

"No problem!"

Hinata couldn't help but feel very happy with herself and with Naruto, not only had he defeated Neji with his own Kekkai Genkai but he was being recognized by the village in a more positive light. And it showed as Naruto was very happy and it made her feel very happy for him even more. She then wondered if he wouldn't mind…

(Ahhhh!!! What am I thinking?!)

The Hyuuga heiress blushed bright red at the thought she suddenly had in her mind. She had wanted to ask him if he was going to be able to be free this afternoon after the finals. The young woman wondered where those thoughts had come from and she was able to calm herself before she did something totally embarrassing. She also couldn't help but have a thought on asking Naruto if he was really going to be a head of his own clan, she had heard the rumors and it made her VERY curious Hinata was educated in many things and was very familiar with the law requiring that a clan head must have a wife in order to start up a clan, and she began to think…

(No! I can't do that….I'm still too young….and I don't think my father would approve, but still….oh, if Naruto-kun asked me….to be his….his….wife, it would….)

Hinata was so deep in her thoughts that she was not aware that Naruto was walking towards her and he was very concerned as to why Hinata was blushing so hard and wondered if she had a fever.

"Hey, Hinata, you all right? You have a fever or something?"

The moment Hinata realized that Naruto was right next to her and touching her forehead, she blushed to the point her face was glowing like a red colored light bulb in the dark and she fainted right away allowing Naruto to catch her.

"Hinata?! Hinata?! Are you all right?! Say something?!"

Fenrix laughed a bit at the sight and he couldn't help but look on as Naruto tried his best to wake Hinata up. He had observed Hinata for a very long time and he knew just how much of a deep affection the young woman had for his charge and how much she liked him and sought his attention. Fenrix had been amused by this fact and saw the way Hinata looked at Naruto and he had to admit that Hinata certainly was different, to be among the few who was deeply attracted to Naruto and not to Sasuke.

The fact that she was the heiress to the Hyuuga Clan made her a viable candidate for Naruto to take as a bride to build his own clan. But that was something that only her father could decide. He had studied the history of the Hyuuga Clan, he knew about the division between the Branch Family and the Head Family and through that, he knew of the issue Hinata's cousin Neji had with the Head Family. He knew about the fact that Hiashi's brother Hizashi had always despised the Head Family and he knew about the events that led to Neji becoming bitter towards the Head Family. He knew that long ago, a ninja from the Land of Lightning had been to Konoha for the signing of a treaty, but in reality, the ninja had been sent to kidnap a member of the Hyuuga Clan, and it was none other than Hinata, Hiashi defeated and killed the ninja, the Land of Lightning was unhappy and demanded Hiashi's dead body as compensation for the death of their ninja. He knew that the Land of Lightning was only interested the Byakugan and Hiashi's body would be the best chance to study it. However, that was when Hizashi died and the death of his father changed Neji, creating his hatred for the Head Family and his belief that fate could not be changed.

However, Fenrix knew that there was more to the story. Hiashi himself had volunteered to take his brother's place. Back then Hiashi had been willing to die to prevent another bloody war between Konoha and Kumo, but it was when he was told that Hizashi would take his place as the seal on him would be used to destroy the Byakugan and deny their enemy access to the Byakugan. He knew that Hiashi did not like the idea as he knew that Hizashi still had his son Neji and was against it, but Hizashi had said that while he hated the Head Family, he wanted to save his brother and it was his choice. He knew that Hizashi knew that his death would save Hiashi and also prevent war and death to befall Konoha again, he also knew that Hizashi had asked Hiashi to tell Neji the reason why he chose to do what he did, and he regretted that he had only shown his bitterness in front of Neji all his life, and he wanted his son to make his own way in the world.

He was aware that Hiashi had not told Neji the truth of his father's death since he was hoping that Neji would be able to be mentally ready to accept the truth.

He was also aware of Hinata's desire to prove herself to not just Naruto, but herself and her father. He secretly knew that Hiashi did not really think Hinata was weak, far from it, Hinata had the talent and the potential to be a worthy successor to the Hyuuga Clan. It was Hinata's lack of confidence and weak drive to succeed that was the factor Hiashi focused on. He couldn't blame Hiashi for that, as he was aware that only the most capable deserved to be Clan leader, it was the same for the Dragon Race as only the most experienced, capable, skilled, and more were chosen to be Dragon King.

He knew that there was no doubt Hiashi and Neji were deep in discussion on the truth of things, namely about the truth behind his father's death and there was no doubt in the Dragon Ascendant's mind that things would be different from here on out.

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In the Medical Bay of the area…

"Father…"

Neji held the letter in his hands and was trembling as he read the last writing on the letter made by his father. he had been resting and thinking about he had been beaten and the words Naruto had said. He then turned and it was when Hiashi came in and he spoke to him about the truth of his father's death. At first he refused to listen and said that Hiashi's words were nothing more than lies and were useless in making things better. He shouted to his uncle that he had ordered his father's death and there was nothing to change that.

However it was then that Hiashi handed the scroll to him and when he read it, he was stunned by the words. He couldn't help but see the truth written by his father who used his own signature hand writing, showing that the scroll was indeed made by his father. As he was finished, he looked at Hiashi and spoke.

"Is this?"

Hiashi nodded.

"Yes, I never handed you that scroll before, because I wanted to make sure that you were ready, and now that you are….I must beg forgiveness for all that has happened."

Neji was shocked by this as he saw Hiashi kneeling before him and speaking to him with utmost truthfulness.

"I am sorry for all you had to go through Neji and I pray that you can forgive me for all that has happened."

Neji was feeling all the more confused, but his decision was clear and he placed aside the letter and replied.

"Please Uncle….stand up, I…I forgive you."

Later….Neji looked out into the sky and wondered just what the future held for him, he had always wanted to be free and now that he knew the truth of his father's death and that he was free to make his own decisions in life. As he looked at the clouds and recalled the old saying that he had heard before.

'The truth shall set you free.'

Knowing the truth that despite the fact he chose death, his father chose that path of his own free will and was never forced into it, he could have refused since he would have not wanted to die for the Head Family, but he chose to do so and not as a member of the Branch Family but as Hiashi's brother. Neji thought it over and checked his injuries and decided on his course of action.

(I will not lose ever again, father, I swear to you…I will not lose ever again, I will make my own destiny and I will make you proud of me.)

As for Hiashi who was also deep in thought, the head of the Hyuuga Clan had thought of something important, something that he knew he should have done ever since he became head of the Hyuuga Clan, but hesitated to do. After seeing Neji's growth and his natural skill, it was about time that he went to work on mending some old mistakes. The Hyuuga Clan was in a rift that had to be healed, and he knew just what to do.

He also thought about the future of his daughter Hinata…

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The rest of the matches proved to worth watching in Naruto's mind as well as that of Fenrix. Both senior and junior Dragon Ascendants. Naruto's month long training with his senior Ascendant teacher had taught him the value of studying a fight to know just how the battle would turn out and the next battle he witnessed was the battle between Shikamaru and Temari, while many of the crowds were against the whole thing.

Temari and Shikamaru were going at it and the lazy but intellectually gifted Genin of Konoha had said something that apparently had angered Temari as she attacked him with great strength and speed. However, Shikamaru was showing his intellect in the fight and Fenrix approved of it while Naruto cheered Shikamaru on to see how the fight would turn out,. All the while, both were being eyed by Gaara, the Sand wielding ninja had a lot to think about after witnessing Naruto's abilities in combat and he was eager to see who among them would survive a one on one fight.

The fight turned to Shikamaru's favor and he was about to be able to win, but he surrendered and when that happened Naruto was not happy and neither was Ino who had been cheering him on before, Fenrix however had seen that Shikamaru's decision to forfeit was the right one, the boy was exhausted and didn't have enough chakra to hold Temari. And he told that to Naruto as well and Naruto had to admit that in light of the situation, Shikamaru made the right move.

However, it was not long before the main fight everyone was hoping to see was about to start, a lot of them were eager to see the fight between Gaara of Suna and Sasuke of Konoha. And the sight was getting very interesting and it annoyed Naruto a bit on what was his team-mate up to.

"I wonder where Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei disappeared to thins time? They should have been back at least a day or two ago."

"Whatever technique Sasuke has learned must take a long time to master Naruto….that is why they take long….in fact, they should be already here."

"Are you sure Fenrix-sensei?"

"Yes….I can feel them coming already; you should be able to do that too."

Naruto tried to focus and faintly smiled as he felt the arrival of Kakashi and Sasuke and that was enough for him. Fenrix observed that and smiled a bit, Naruto was developing already his ability to sense the chakra of another person, but it was not yet at the level needed to fully sense everything and everyone's life force in the world in all it's entirety.

For now it seemed that the long awaited battle with Gaara and Sasuke facing one another was about to start as the two finally arrived and Sasuke turned to see Naruto and Fenrix looking and he merely gave a slight smirk and got ready to show his own growth under Kakashi.

It was then that Lee and Gai had arrived and both of them were told of the victory of Naruto's Kekkai Genkai over Neji. Lee was impressed and hoped to face Naruto's own Kekkai Genkai to see how powerful it was if it could outmatch Neji's Byakugan.

The battle was starting and everyone was cheering Sasuke on but both Naruto and Fenrix had their doubts, they both recalled the time that they had heard Gaara's words and the two knew that this fight was not going to be simple….despite the fact that Sasuke was using the same power, technique and speed as Lee, both knew that Lee's Taijutsu skills were not enough and is then that. It was then that Gaara created a massive sphere of sand that surrounded him and no amount of physical attacks from Sasuke could break through it. However it seemed that Sasuke was not deterred and then he summoned his chakra and created a sphere and then ran down with Lightning coming from it as well as a strange sound.

Gai turned to Kakashi and spoke.

"So that's why you taught him the same techniques I taught Lee. You taught him your Lighting Edge."

"Yep….that's only possible since he is an Uchiha with the Sharingan and is like me a Lighting chakra user type."

"Lightning Edge?"

"What's that?"

Both Ino and Sakura asked the two Jonin and Gai took the explanation to them as well as Chouji.

"The Lighting edge is a term for Kakashi's only original technique, it's named that way that it was able to cut through a lightning bolt during one of Kakashi's missions as a Jonin at a young age."

"Cut a Lighting bolt?!"

"Wow…"

"Get real…"

"Gai continued with the words as Sasuke was still there to attack Gaara's sand shield.

"But it's real name is Chidori."

"Chidori?"

Gai nodded and replied.

"That is the Lightning Edge's real name, it is an assassination style attack that focuses the chakra to the arm until it can cut through anything it hits, and is very fast, it sounds like a thousand birds chirping as well which further adds weight to the name it has. However, it is still a ridiculous move in my mind."

Kakashi snorted a bit in a friendly manner.

"You're the one to talk. Isn't that right Lee?"

Lee didn't say much and was silent for a reason, he had once mocked Sasuke that he was not fast enough in the body to match him, but now the Uchiha was able to do so. Naruto and Fenrix however were not focused on the technique, impressive as it was, they had other thoughts in their minds.

It seemed like Sasuke would come out on this battle all right…but the crowd were about to get something none of them bargained for.

"BLOOD!!!! IT'S MY BLOOD!!!!"

The cries from Gaara frightened everyone as he sounded like he was turning insane with rage, shock, pain, and anger. It was then that Sasuke had no choice but to shout in his own pain and use his Lightning to free himself as something began to wrap around his arm and he was surprised to see the sand coming around him and he knew that he had to escape fast….something was not right. It was after he escaped that a massive arm of sand came out from the hole that was in Gaara's sand sphere and tried to crush him like a grape.

Everyone in the arena gasped in shock at the sight of the massive arm that came out and tried to crush Sasuke. Temari and Kankurou however had seen that before and knew quickly that things were about to get very ugly, the elder brother of Gaara recalled seeing that happen and he was not able to eat for a week after that, and Temari was no worse for wear either.

"What the heck?!"

Kakashi was surprised greatly as well as Gai was as they looked on at the sight before them, they both knew Gaara was different, but this…

Sakura and everyone in the Rookie Nine were also shocked by the sight and in Sasuke's case…he heard a dark, bestial growl and then he saw something moving and then he saw it….a very evil looking eye with great blood lust, hunger, rage and more looking right at him and he felt fear hit him right in the heart and body.

"What….is that?!"

Fenrix sensed something terrible awakening deep in the sphere of sand, he could feel it, something dark, malevolent, and blood thirsty. It was not a very good feeling and he could see that despite Naruto not being up to the level to sense it felt something in the air like he did as well, this was not a good thing.

"Something's wrong sensei….there's something in the air…"

"It's Gaara….or rather, what is inside of him…"

It was then that the plan of Orochimaru took center stage…

--------

A masked ANBU who had been able to witness the powerful battles with Naruto and Neji being the first and then this made his move and suddenly the audience began to fall asleep and in moments, everyone the arena were under the Genjutsu that the ANBU was casting on them, however, not everyone was caught as several Konoha ninja were able to counter the Jutsu, and it was the signal awaited by Orochimaru's forces as hordes of Sound and Sand Ninja began to attack Konoha from the inside and outside. And it was then that a smoke screen covered the Hokage Box and then in moments, the fighting had started.

The invasion, despite the snag, had begun.

--------

In the ring…

Naruto and Fenrix however were unaffected by the Genjutsu due to the fact that both of them had Dragon blood in their veins which allowed them the ability to resist illusion based attacks on them and as soon as they saw the ninja they leaped into the ring and began to fight them off

Several Sound Ninja were quickly sent flying back with intense force as Fenrix merely gave a light punch to them, but unlike Naruto, Fenrix could unleash his full strength and if he had not controlled his blows, it would have sent them flying beyond the ring itself or dying from sheer impact force. Suna and Sound Ninja slamming hard into the walls and other parts of the arena by the two, the senior Dragon Ascendant moved quickly to his student's side and the two fought side by side and made their way to where Gai and Kakashi were at that moment. They had been so busy fighting that they were not aware that Sasuke had decided to go after Gaara, Temari and Kankurou when the three siblings had left the arena.

The Two Jonin were more than able to take care of themselves, that much the two could see as Gai's Taijutsu was more than enough to knock about any attacking Sound and Sand Ninja, while Kakashi was proving to be more than bale to fight well.

Naruto quickly turned and blocked an incoming attack from a Sound Ninja towards Sakura who was barely able to stop and attack directed at her unconscious friend Ino. The Sound Jonin's smile vanished as he saw that his sword was cracked when it struck Naruto at the neck in which a stroke would decapitated a normal ninja. Naruto retaliated with a powerful kick towards the ribcage and the sound of breaking ribs were heard and the ninja was sent flying back, three Sand ninja attacked, but Naruto merely reacted by unleashing a powerful blast of Fire coming from his mouth, surprising Gai and Kakashi as they saw that Naruto had not used any hand seals. The three ninja were burned and sent back as Naruto turned to Sakura.

"You all right Sakura-chan?"

"I'm fine, but Ino's still out at the moment. What the heck is going on here?!"

Kakashi replied in answer to Sakura's question at the moment.

"We're under stack by Sound and Sand, apparently they were planning to hit us with our pants down and one of their agents used some sort of Genjutsu to put everyone else to sleep, only a few of us were able to counter with the Release Jutsu."

Fenrix then turned and saw what was happening with the Hokage and he knew just what was going on at this moment and time.

"The leader of this attack, Orochimaru, he seems to be after the Hokage at the moment, there is a barrier being set up by four individuals who are also using some parts of the shield to protect themselves, the power in that barrier is considerable."

Naruto looked and through his Dragon Blood enhanced vision, saw the very same thing that his Dragon Ascendant teacher was seeing at the moment and he growled at the sight of the man who was currently facing The Hokage. He wanted to fight but he knew that he had to help protect the village, the old man would not have him do anything else.

"Damn it….that bastard is behind everything, but, I can't let Sasuke fight alone with Gaara and I can't let the village suffer anymore. What should I do?!"

Fenrix could see the conversation between the two as they began to fight one another, he was skilled in reading expressions and lips and could tell that despite Orochimaru's confidence in the coming battle, and his age, Sarutobi was intent of rectifying his mistake of letting Orochimaru live once and for all.

The senior Ascendant wished to aid Sarutobi but knew that doing so would not be wise at the moment and this was between the two of them and interfering was a mistake as well, he could see the conflict in Naruto's eyes and actions and replied.

"We must trust the Hokage Naruto, he will need us to defend the village, and we need to give the ninja of the village time to organize the defense, once we are done, we can help in finding Gaara, now come on!"

Naruto nodded and the two of them moved out while Kakashi turned to see Shikamaru and Sakura ready for action, he knew that these two had not worked together before but he knew that they were going to be helpful in locating Sasuke, Naruto's words about Gaara being unlike anything Sasuke ever faced were proven true when he and the others saw the massive bestial arm of sand that nearly crushed Sasuke's own arm when he used the Chidori on Gaara's sand shield. He had a feeling that Sasuke was not facing a normal ninja and he began to think about that more carefully, there was only one possible reason.

(Gaara…he must be carrying a Tailed Beast as well.)

"Sakura, you and Shikamaru do what you can to track down

With that, the group left, unaware that Shino and his bugs had tagged along, with the intent of finishing a scheduled fight with the certain puppet wielding Sand Ninja.

--------

Several Sand and Sound ninja were about to overwhelm some of the Konoha ninja who were fighting back when they were suddenly hit by a combined blast of Wind and Lighting and many of them fell dead as both Naruto and Fenrix moved in to buy the Konoha ninja enough time to rally and counter attack.

The two Ascendants fought well with one another and several Sound Ninja was shocked as both warriors suddenly unleashed a torrent of flame at them from their mouths without using any hand seals, the ninja who were part of Orochimaru's forces were quickly and easily incinerated by the attacks as Naruto and Fenrix fought alongside the Konoha ninjas. The ninjas were surprised to see both Naruto and Fenrix fight through he numbers of ninja that came at them, one band of Sound Ninja were violently sent flying by a powerful Wind blast from the senior Dragon Ascendant, while another band of Sand ninja were hit hard by a powerful wall of water from Naruto.

"KAGE BUSHIN NO JUTSU!!!!"

Naruto summoned his Kage Bushin and then had all of them transform and the Sound and sand ninja forces found themselves under assault from Naruto and his Kage Bushin who were using various elements in unison, arcs of Lightning, tongues of Fire, waves of Water, walls of Earth, and blasts of Wind sent the ninja flying and eventually running for their lives.

And no one could blame them as Naruto's powers proved to be more than enough to stem the tide for the Konoha ninjas to rally and counter attack, Fenrix himself was able to combine the elements under his command with overwhelming force, sending blasts of Wind mixed with Fire with undeniably devastating results on the ninja forces arrayed before him, he would then unleash a combination of Water whips mixed with arcs of Lighting, and did so with minimal effort, showing his much higher level of power and skill over Naruto.

The two stopped and saw that more ninja were coming into the area, no doubt they had been held back as reinforcements just in case the initial waves were beaten back and it seemed that they were now coming into play. The two looked at one another and Naruto was not happy with the situation as he felt that he needed to help the others deal with Gaara and while he knew that Sasuke would fight his hardest, he was dealing with a ninja who had a demon inside of himself, and the creature was more than a deadly foe in combat.

Fenrix then touched the ground and closed his eyes, making Naruto wonder what his mentor in the ways of the Dragon Ascendants was up to, it was then that Fenrix spoke to Naruto.

"Naruto….we're going to have to call forth some support, you will need to work with me on this one."

Naruto had no idea what his sensei was up to but he trusted his sensei well enough and did as his sensei in the Dragon Ascendancy arts showed, the two of them drew their own blood and it glowed deep white for a moment and the two drew a simple tree pattern that was moving and then Fenrix and Naruto spoke the spell.

"Warriors of Nature, Guardians borne of the bones, flesh, and blood of the Earth, hear our call and heed our wish, awaken from your long slumber and fight as you have in eons past!!!! We summon you!!!"

The blood that both Dragon Ascendants' spilled glowed deep green and then faded and to the eyes of all, the spell fizzled out….but it didn't…, there was a massive rumble in the air and every ninja stopped from what they were doing….it even reached the roof top that both Sarutobi and Orochimaru were on and then to the shock of the invading ninja….the trees in the area surrounding the walls of Konoha began to move and come to life.

The trees seemed to be alive and then several squads of Suna and Sound ninja were suddenly sent flying by the impacts of several of the long limbs of the living trees, other were sent flying or were crushed by the feet of the tree men. Naruto gaped and looked at Fenrix who smiled and spoke.

"It seems that the power of the Ancients still flows strongly in this world."

One ninja from Konoha was gaping in shock at the sight and spoke out loudly.

"W-W-What are they?!"

Fenrix then answered the question.

"They go by many names young man, but either Treant or Ent will do, they are living trees, guardians of the wilds and of long ancient groves. The members of the ancient Dragon Race who inhabited this world millennia ago helped create them to guard the wilds as well as fight under the command of mortal humans who petitioned for their aid. That also applies to those who have undergone the Blood Ascension Ceremony and when the Dragon Race and their loyalist Ascendants left this world in the Exodus, the Ents went to an ancient slumber. They only awaken when summoned by one who has a pact or tie with the Dragon Race….such as me and Naruto. They will defend Konoha with you young man, so you have no need to fear them. But I doubt the same could be said for your enemies."

And that was true as the ninja forces of Suna and Sound found that their weapons and current abilities were not enough to stop the mobile juggernauts as they Treants or rather Ents would lift up large boulders to throw at their reinforcements and use their arms and legs to either crush the incoming ninja or send them flying about.

Fenrix turned to Naruto and spoke.

"We should get moving Naruto, the others will need our help in tracking Gaara."

Naruto nodded and the two of them left, allowing the Konoha ninja they had left behind to gape at the two, such power was unheard of and it took the fact that they still had to deal with the ninja in the village that woke them up. However, it was also when the plans for countering an invasion of Konoha came into effect as the ninja forces of Konoha began to gather and launch a counter attack. The ANBU also got involved as the other users of Kekkai Genkai began to fight back, such as Hiashi, Inochi, Shikaku, and Chouza went on the attack.

Naruto and Fenrix then caught up with Sakura, Pakkun, and Shikamaru, but before they did, the two of them were in a discussion.

--------

Sarutobi smiled at the sight, he had been told by Fenrix' master so long ago about the ancient powers that slumbered deep in the world they lived in, and to know that Naruto was one of the very few with command of such powers made him see that the village would be in better hands. He then turned to fight Orochimaru once more, he knew that despite his old age and the fact that Orochimaru was stronger now, he was not going to let his past mistake be repeated as he got his ally, Monkey King Enma who was in his diamond staff form ready for the soon to come fight.

Orochimaru however spoke to Sarutobi.

"Naruto-kun has such a powerful bloodline….and you've hidden it from me all this time Sarutobi-sensei….how did you manage that?"

"I thought your spies would be able to tell you, but suffice to say, the power Naruto has is older than any Kekkai Genkai in existence….if might even rival the Sharingan is Naruto is able to master it completely."

"What?!"

"However, you won't be able to know everything, I will never tell you anything else than that Orochimaru, but you can be assured that I will defeat you here and now, then I will kill you!!!"

Orochimaru glared and readied Kusanagi.

"Try Me Old Man!!!"

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Sasuke tried his best but even when he used Chidori to sever the sand arm that Gaara had, the Suna Genin was more than willing to fight and was even more determined to kill him, he would have tried to fight back, but he was almost out of chakra and he was in a very dire situation, and he was tempted to rely on the Cursed Seal. He recalled Kakashi's warning that he could only use the Chidori twice in one day and then he would be out of chakra. When they had been training with the technique for days before the finals of the Chuunin Exams, he had been told that the limit was two times, if he went beyond that, he would die.

He had been able to get past Temari in combat and conserved as much of his chakra as he could as he knew that using it up against someone who was not his true target was. After defeating Temari he had moved on but encountered Kankurou who was fully rested and eager to pay Sasuke back for the stone he threw….but he was saved from losing more chakra by Shino who had followed them in secret, using his bugs

Gaara had been taunting him and it made him very angry and he tried to use the Cursed Seal to give him an advantage, any advantage.

"You're too weak Sasuke Uchiha, I will kill you here and now!!!"

Gaara lashed out and with a newly re-grown arm of sand, it seemed like the end….

"FIRE :LANCE!!!"

Gaara was forced to move away at that moment as a spear of pure fire came right at him and forced him to break away from his attack on the prone and helpless Sasuke and then he looked to see none other than Naruto and Sakura along with Fenrix and Pakkun.

The group was leaving behind one of their members, namely Shikamaru when they were being pursued by a number of elite Jonin sent by Orochimaru to keep an eye on Sasuke. Shikamaru had reasoned that they had only one shot and the one who would stay behind would be both the bait and the only one who would not come back. It was a tough choice, but Shikamaru had do it and thus the rest of them went ahead to catch up with Sasuke and Gaara as well as his siblings

Naruto glared at Gaara who was now covered in his sand form and was somehow allowing the demon inside of him to take fore front of the fight, he had seen Sakura about to be armed when he had fired the Fire Lance at Gaara' forcing the Sand Ninja to back away. He looked at Sasuke and could tell that his team-mate was very low on chakra and couldn't fight anymore and now it was his turn to fight.

Fenrix looked at the two ninja and Naruto turned to his Dragon Ascendant sensei and spoke to him seriously.

"Fenrix-sensei….get Sasuke, Pakkun and Sakura-chan out of here….this fight is mine now. I will defeat Gaara here and now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I asked this of you so let me fight him."

Fenrix nodded as he recalled the time they had followed Sakura, Shikamaru and Pakkun as well.

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Flashback…

"Fenrix-sensei, I have a favor to ask."

"What is it Naruto?"

"I want to face Gaara alone, so please let me do this."

Fenrix looked at Naruto and saw that his student meant it, the senior Dragon Ascendant had read all he could about Gaara, as well as Gaara's hidden resident. Valen had gathered much data in his travels before arriving in Konoha and had gathered enough information about the legendary Bijuu of this world and he determined that they were of great power, not as powerful as the long forgotten Dragon Race, but stronger nevertheless than normal beings.

Fenrix had read all he could and knew the full story of the Shukaku that Naruto had mentioned when he had inquired about the incident in the hospital. The Shukaku was a powerful fighter with the control of sand, and was a potential threat to an Ascendant who's power level was the same as Naruto's, but was considered very low powered against someone like him. He knew it would be a good test for Naruto to use his powers, but with some level of risk for his student, as Naruto's powers were not yet at the level needed to be considered a full scale Ascendant.

"Are you sure of that?"

"Yes I am, Gaara tried to kill Lee in his sleep and he would have killed others in my home, I can't let that happen, even if he and I are the same and I understand him, I will stop him, even if I have to kill him."

Fenrix looked at Naruto and saw that there was no going back, and he wanted to make that clear to his student.

"If you are dead set on this, you should know that in your current level of power, he is a potential threat and if you make a mistake, he can injure you despite your powers, and most of all, I will not aid you in battle against him as you wish to face him alone, do you understand me Naruto?"

Naruto nodded.

"I do."

Fenrix sighed and then nodded.

"Very well, when the time comes and if you truly want to do that, then I will let you face Gaara alone, I will protect your friends for you, I will not help you unless you truly need it, just promise me to fight with everything that you have here and now."

"I will."

--------

End of Flashback…

Fenrix nodded towards Naruto and he knew that the time had come for him to keep his promise to Naruto let him fight Gaara on his own, he might not like it, but this was real test for Naruto to finally face a foe who could give him a good enough challenge, in a way he had to thank Gaara as he will be the key for Naruto put all he had learned into the battlefield and not hold back.

Naruto was facing a foe who was like him in a way, but unlike Naruto, he had grown to hate and despite the world and see killing as his only satisfaction. That made Gaara a deadly foe and would be the one who would truly test his student's convictions and abilities.

"Good luck Naruto, do not fail."

And with that, the senior Dragon Ascendant quickly grabbed both Sakura and Sasuke and quickly left the scene, and this left Naruto to face Gaara alone as the sand covered Genin and demon container faced the young Dragon Ascendant and gave a growl at him.

"You are going to be my greatest enemy and I will enjoy spilling your blood!!!"

Naruto however relaxed at then summoned his Dragon King Blood heritage and soon enough the blonde Genin spoke the command to trigger his power.

"DRAGON KING BLOOD!!! RELEASE!!! WIND!!!"

Naruto now wore the tattoos which were in the mode of Wind and he had several small sphere of pure Wind moving on his fists and he got ready to face Gaara and before they fought, he spoke to the enraged Sand Genin and container of the Shukaku.

"I will never let you harm a single life from my home village Gaara, I will stop you, even if I have to kill you!"

"So be it!!! Let us see who is truly worthy of existence!!!! You are stronger than that Sasuke kid, you are the one I want to kill!"

As Naruto faced Gaara and it seemed that the two were ready for a fight, Sasuke and Sakura turned Fenrix who was calm and focused on the fight, Sakura spoke to the senior Dragon Ascendant.

"Aren't you going to help him?!"

"I already have, he has learned enough to show me that he can fight this battle on his own."

"What?! But you said his power was still in its infancy, he's going to be in more than he can handle!!!"

"That might be true, but he made his choice to fight for your sake and that of the village and all he cares about, this is Naruto's fight and his alone, I cannot interfere."

Sasuke was surprised by this and Fenrix merely replied.

"He must use all he has learned from me to face Gaara on his own, this is going to be the real test, Gaara is not a normal person and he is strong in his own right, and Naruto himself asked me before we arrived here to let him face Gaara on his own, I respect that and I see in his eyes that he wants to fight without my help."

"But you can't mean that!!!"

Sakura said as she tried to rush to help Naruto but Fenrix however stopped her and spoke evenly.

"This is Naruto's fight Sakura Haruno, let him settle this, I will only help if he needs the help, this fight is more important to him that you can imagine, unlike Gaara who fights for himself, Naruto fights for others, namely you, Kakashi, Sasuke, Iruka, and everyone in the village. He cares more for you all than his own life, and that is what gives him the will, drive and power to face Gaara. If you are harmed, then it will all be for nothing."

Fenrix then turned to see Sasuke's tattoos and he couldn't help but be revolted by the sight of it, Kakashi and the Hokage told him a great deal about this Orochimaru and this cursed seal of his, which he had placed on another Jonin of Konoha named Mitarashi Anko. This Cursed Seal reminded him of some of the curse marks he had seen in his many years of existence and while Naruto trusts his team, the senior Dragon Ascendant had his worries towards this mark, but kept his peace and focused on protecting the two from harm.

He however had a feeling that sooner or later, things were going to get very ugly.

In the meantime…

Shikamaru sat down and gave a sigh of relief as Asuma finished up the task of dealing with the Sound ninja forces. The Genin had been able to hold them off but he was finally out of chakra, and the Sound Ninja were about to attack him and continue their pursuit, but his sensei arrived and he was in the clear.

"You all right Shikamaru?"

"Yeah….man what a drag."

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To be continued…

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Author's notes:

A lot shorter than the last chapter, but still, it does all right in my mind.

Now we have the battle between Gaara and Naruto and unlike Dragon Champion where Naruto helps tide off the invasion with his summoned army to buy Konoha time, Naruto take it a step further by using his Ascendant blood to awaken some of the old power that had been residing deep within the very foundation of the world and the summoned Ents are the result of that spell that both Fenrix and Naruto used to defend Konoha and give the Konoha ninja enough time to rally their forces for the counter attack.

And it seems that Naruto wants to face Gaara alone and Fenrix agreed with it and focuses on defending Naruto's team-mates while allowing his student to face Gaara alone. How will this fight turn out?

Now some people are wondering just what sort of role Fenrix has in the story, and it is simple and fairly obvious in my mind, he is Naruto's mentor, guardian, and teacher. His duty is to both teach Naruto the ways of the Ascendants and protect him from threats, however, he also knows that for Naruto to grow and mature properly in terms of ability and power, the best way is for Naruto to fight on his own battles. And he will only aid Naruto if the need is great as he has faith in Naruto's abilities, skills, determination, and will, despite the fact that he does not always agree with Naruto's desire to fight alone.

In simple terms, he is Naruto's mentor in the ways of Ascendants, not a replacement for Naruto, he merely guides Naruto in the ways of the Ascendants and allows him to learn on his own after learning the lessons needed to start him on his way.

There is no godmodding here as well, as I have pointed out before that Naruto's powers are indeed great, but since his ability to properly control them is lacking, he cannot use them until he develops the control needed to use the powers freely and without any complications. If I was really godmodding Naruto, why give him a handicap and a restraining device, why not allow him full power and allow him to be a full scale Ascendant?

If I did that, then where is the point of the whole story?

Here is a trailer that highlights my point.

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Trailer:

Naruto held the weapon in his hands and marveled at this weapon, it was a long handle and on the ends were two double edged blades at the length of at least three feet each and was made from specially enchanted and high quality steel, the two blades were well made and balanced and following the instructions of his Dragon Ascendant sensei, the blades quickly retracted into the handle and he looked at the seemingly bladeless weapon and pressed it again and the blades came back out.

"Like your present?"

"Yes!"

"Good, this weapon emphasizes the lesson that I will teach you once you return from looking for this Tsunade who shall be the new Hokage."

"What do you mean?"

"This twin bladed weapon symbolizes the need for control. When you attempt to use two Elements, you must learn to work their natures into a cohesive combination without one overwhelming the other, if there is no control, then the elements will clash and disrupt one another, and your ability as a fighter in combat will naturally suffer as a result. To drive the point home to you…those two blades were specially made be able to injure you."

"What?!"

Naruto was shocked to hear that and Fenrix replied.

"It will not kill you of course, but send light pain through your body while not cutting you, when you train with this weapon, you must use it as a staff weapon and that is where control must be learned Naruto, as you must be able to defend and strike with enough power and control. If you attack with two much power, then the other blade will injure you, and you lose control. Once you master both control and power, you can attack and defend in equal measure, and then you can learn to use two elements in unison. That is what this weapon will show you."

Naruto began to understand the idea, though not entirely at the moment as he took the weapon and he asked Fenrix the question that had been plaguing him ever since he got the weapon.

"Aren't you coming with me Fenrix-sensei?"

Fenrix shook his head and explained his reasons.

"You are a Clan head now and as your advisor as well as your teacher and guardian, I have to remain here to defend your land, home and name, you have matured enough to merit going out on your own and learning on your own for a while, and Jiraiya has asked me to allow him to train you in a special jutsu that you might find useful in the near future."

"As much as you need to learn the ways of the Ascendants to master your powers, you must also learn the ways of ninjas as you should before your powers awakened. Your defeat of Gaara when you two fought has proven to me than you can handle yourself for now until you return and require more instruction from me, there is only so much you can learn from these walls of the Training Hall after all, true knowledge and wisdom are gained as well as given."

"Besides, all the training and lessons I give you will not be effective if you are not using them in the real world for it is in the real world where your training, knowledge and experience can be put to the test."

Fenrix then took out a small gemstone necklace and handed it to his student and as Naruto looked at the necklace, he spotted that Fenrix wore the very same necklace of his neck..

"However, I will not be far, this is a Recall Stone and if you are in need of my help or are in true danger, then this Recall Stone will cast a teleportation spell and I will be there to aid you in whatever you need done. I have faith in you and your growth as both an Ascendant and Ninja Naruto and that is why you will do well here."

Naruto smiled and bowed to Fenrix.

"I will not disappoint you or everyone in Konoha; I will bring Tsunade back to be our new Hokage."

Fenrix nodded and bowed back to Naruto.

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Fenrix believes in the idea of allowing Naruto to place the lessons into practice and will only aid Naruto in battle if Naruto needs it as he believes in Naruto being stronger and more capable when he is put to the test, so unlike most OCs, Fenrix plays the role of advisor, and teacher and so will get involved in battles to either protect himself or to help Naruto if he needs it.


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto Dragon Ascendant

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Naruto or any of the sort.

Chapter 4

Battle of Identity

( ): Thoughts

(( )): Kyuubi's voice

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In the Forest…

Gaara roared out and lashed with several powerful shuriken made of sand at Naruto who was able to block the attacks with his wind manipulation abilities as he used the wind to form a shield. The shuriken were reduced to sand and Gaara roared out at Naruto.

"COME ON!!! ATTACK ME!! LET'S SEE WHOSE POWER IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER!!!!"

Naruto was more than ready to attack as he moved in with his fist at the ready, his fist was surrounded by a vortex of air, the punch he unleashed to the tree was enough to rip through the tree itself, there on the now decapitated tree was a massive hole where Naruto's punch had struck. Gaara had been able to evade the attack and was now on another branch.

Gaara unleashed a powerful strike from his sand covered hands, the massive limb lashed out at Naruto as the blonde ninja and Dragon Ascendant leaped out of the way of the attack and moved to another tree, Naruto quickly charged right at Gaara, leaping off the tree like a comet and straight at Gaara.

The sand ninja responded by unleashing a massive blast of chakra enhanced air mixed with sand right at the blonde ninja. The attack struck Naruto and forced him back to the tree with a hard landing, the tree cracked them the impact and Gaara unleashed his other sand arm. Naruto recovered and lashed out with a powerful straight punch while using the same leaping move.

Gaara roared as Naruto attack ripped through his arm of sand, in the same way that Sasuke's Chidori had done, but he was ready as he leaped upward and then unleashed his other sand arm to smash hard into the blonde ninja. Gaara screamed at Naruto in his angered state as he wanted to finally end the life of the blonde ninja.

"DIE!!"

Naruto however was not going to just give up and die as he turned to face the incoming fist and cocked back his fist and unleashed a vortex of wind right at the incoming fist.

"GALE STRIKE!!!"

The massive tornado that came from Naruto's hand smashed hard into the arm that Gaara unleashed tore right through it, forcing Gaara to revise his attacks as he landed on a nearby tree, the Sand ninja then unleashed a hail of sand shuriken at Naruto as well as another blast of air mixed with chakra and sand, the blast slammed hard into Naruto and the tree he landed on suffered a considerable number of cuts as well as having sections of itself torn off by the assault of sand shuriken and the sand, chakra enhanced wind.

Naruto braced himself and while his dragon scale covered skin was withstanding the attacks well enough, that certainly didn't mean he felt no pain as the sand shuriken hit him as well as the sand with chakra enhanced wind, this told him that Fenrix' warning was correct that despite his powers, Gaara could injure him. Naruto however withstood the assault as Gaara unleashed his arms once again.

The blonde moved aside as one arm smashes into the three branch he was on while the other arm hits Naruto on the chest and sends him flying, he hits a tree hard, but the blonde gets up and quickly charges right at Gaara who roars and unleashes another strike, Naruto however quickly unleashes a number of Kage Bushin, one takes the blow from sand arm and so does another Kage Bushin with the other sand arm, the other four had the same tattoos as Naruto does at that moment and all five unleashed from their mouths a massive burst of flame.

"DRAGON FIRE!!!!"

Gaara uses his sand to block the five bursts of pure flame but he still roared in pain as the heat from the attacks was much stronger than the techniques used by Sasuke. As an Ascendant, Naruto's body had been altered to suit his new powers as well as his new found abilities, this gives him a considerable level of ability, and through practice he could now unleash flames with greater ease. And with his powers awakened to full might and with considerably higher control than before he was more than able to hold his own for the moment.

Gaara managed to fire his other sand arm at Naruto in hopes of stopping the Dragon Ascendant's fiery assault on him, the attack manages to force Naruto and His Kage Bushin to halt their combined strike as well as to scatter away from the attack, Gaara used this as his chance as he tore down several massive branches near him and turned them into massive missiles aiming right for Naruto. There were at least four of the massive branches aiming right at Naruto and they were moving too fast as Naruto got up and spotted them.

"NARUTO!!!!:

Sakura yelled out in warning as despite the distance they had from the battle, she could see the level of danger Naruto was currently in at the moment. She knew that due to his bloodline, he would have much tougher resistance to pain, but she also knew that despite his powers, Naruto was still very much vulnerable to attack and sure enough, she couldn't help but watch as Naruto managed to lash out with a fist at one of the massive tree missiles heading right for him.

CRACK!!!!

The massive punch from Naruto had very interesting results as the tree missile was hit dead center in the core and was split in half by Naruto's fist as it was covered in the glowing aura of his Dragon King Blood powered chakra as well as his strength the tree branch was torn in half and Naruto quickly swatted another one while his Kage Bushin came in and unleashed a massive torrent of flame to reduce one more tree into nothing but ash and cinders. The others also took the next barrage of tree branch missiles that Gaara threw their way until Gaara unleashed another wave of sand made shuriken.

Naruto dodged the attacks as the shuriken tore deeply into trees and other parts of the battle field while the sand that followed was made into smaller lumps of hardened rock that acted like sand paper or small blades, showing that Gaara was not going to let up in his plan to reduce Naruto into a corpse. The Dragon Ascendant's skin was able to hold off the damage but he knew that it still hurt him to be hit by those attacks even more so since the attacks were enhanced by chakra as well. He quickly moved in and attacked with a powerful blast of his fire breath.

"DRAGON FIRE!"

The attack forced Gaara on the defensive and that allowed Naruto to use his speed to his advantage, when he didn't have the bracers on to restrain his power, he was far beyond the speed of a normal person, with them on, his speed was reduced, but through the use of his now summoned Wind Element, he was able to rocket right at Gaara by using the wind currents on his feet to propel him like a rocket at high speed.

Gaara moved his arm away and was quite shocked to see Naruto right at him, too close for him to counter attack or defend with one fist at the ready.

"WHAT?!"

"TAKE THIS!!!"

The blow hit Gaara right in the jaw and sent the sand ninja flying, and since Naruto wore the bracers to restrain his abilities until he was strong enough to use them well, he was lucky since if Naruto decided to attack without the bracers on, he would have shattered Gaara's head open like a rotten melon at the first swing. The blow in this case send Gaara right off his perch and slammed hard into a pair of trees, he smashed through the first one and landed hard on the second, Gaara got up and allowed the sand to further consume his form and he was now a small version of the Sand Raccoon demon known as Shukaku.

"I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT!!!!"

Naruto quickly moved away as Gaara unleashed his sand arms once more, smashing into the branch he had been on a moment before and he quickly moved in to attack Gaara and unleashed a powerful blast of air to attack Gaara with, that was blocked by Gaara and Naruto quickly made a number of Kage Bushin and with several of his Kage Bushin with him, he decided to go all out to finally end this fight before it got out of hand.

However, Gaara was not going to let this be that simple as he pulled back his arms and blocked the attack and then fired out several more sand shuriken at Naruto and his Kage Bushin, The Kage Bushin blocked attacks and Naruto closed in and fired out a massive ball of pure air that smashed into Gaara's sand arms, blowing them apart and allowing Naruto to attack at a much closer range. As soon as Naruto was close up, he began to unleash a powerful barrage of punches at Gaara who managed to block with his arms as well as his sand shield as he was being hit hard by the blonde ninja who was not stopping in his assault.

Naruto quickly moved behind Gaara and as Gaara turned, he landed a kick right at Gaara to send the sand ninja flying to another tree and smashed hard into the said tree, Gaara got up and was getting even more enraged, the effects of Naruto's attacks on him were showing as parts of his sand form were already falling off of him and were also breaking down. Naruto was far from finished however as he shouted out once more.

"KAGE BUSHIN NO JUTSU!!!!"

In a matter of moments, a large number of Kage Bushin were beside Naruto, all numbering a full twenty five in all. Naruto knew that by using his already existing chakra he could have made a lot more Kage Bushin to finally defeat Gaara by force of sheer numbers, but he had to be quick with defeating Gaara once and for all to strop his rampage on his village. With that in mind, he had to reserve as much power as he could manage to reserve. He knew that this was going to be very taxing on his body but it had to be done either way.

"DRAGON KING BLOOD…RELEASE!!!!"

The five Kage Bushin on one group shouted Fire and were now covered in the tattoos that showed their elemental affinity to be that of Fire, while another group of Kage Bushin took the elemental affinity of Water, the next group took the elemental affinity of Air, the next group took to the elemental affinity of Earth and the last group took the elemental affinity of Lightning. In effect, Naruto was surrounded by twenty five Kage Bushin wielding different elemental affinities and Gaara looked on in anger as he lashed out at Naruto and his Kage Bushin.

"I DON'T CARE HOW MANY YOU ALL ARE!!!! YOU ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!"

Naruto and his army made their moves and attacked Gaara in that exact moment, the groups also began to move in unison as well, unleashing massive attacks that replicated the very same power assault that Naruto had used back in the ring of the Chuunin Exams to battle Neji in combat, only in this case, the numbers advantage was working in Naruto's favor as the five Kage Bushin in each group would work in unison with one of another group, allowing for a variety of amazing and deadly elemental combinations. Fire mixed with Lightning attacks, Earth with Water, Wind mixed with Fire and more. The combined assault was heavily injuring Gaara and destroying large sections of Gaara's sand armor and Shukaku form as the sand ninja was being pushed to his limit as Naruto and his elemental Kage Bushin was hitting with full force against him.

Gaara moved back and the once deadly Shukaku form was badly damaged and falling apart and Naruto knew he had the advantage but decided to stick to close combat for the finish off and with that in mind, the blonde Genin decided to shut down his elemental powers and he did so and his Kage Bushin followed suit as he shouted once more.

"KAGE BUSHIN NO JUTSU!!!!"

In less than a second, over two thousand normal Kage Bushin joined the ranks of Naruto's already existing Kage Bushin, however, Naruto didn't use his Dragon King Blood release and neither did they, doing so would have strained his still growing Dragon Ascendant powers and he was already getting tired and wanted this fight to be over before things got out of hand, with the army of Kage Bushin next to him, it seemed that things were about to go Naruto's way.

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Temari's eyes widened at the sight before her as she saw something that by all rights would have been nigh impossible for a Genin to do, she was familiar with the use of Kage Bushin and the rank it had. She had heard that some exceptional ninja could use this jutsu, yet even they could only make a certain number due to the nature of dividing chakra from the user to the Kage Bushin which could weaken the ninja. But never in her entire life did she see anyone summon this many Kage Bushin at once! And even more so being able to do it despite fighting at a state where most ninja of Genin rank would have collapsed from exhaustion

(How can this be?!)

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Sasuke and Sakura were awed by the sight, they knew that Naruto could use Kage Bushin when they first saw him in action against Kakashi when they were taking part of the bell test. However, they had no idea that he was able to summon THIS many Kage Bushin at once! Sakura looked on at her team mate and spoke out.

"That many Kage Bushin at once….that's not possible for a Genin…"

Sasuke agreed with Sakura, while he was not as familiar with the Kage Bushin as the others were, he had heard how risky it was for anyone, even Jonin level ninja like their sensei Kakashi to make a large number of Kage Bushin. But Naruto had just made an entire army!

(What the heck is he?!)

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The army of Kage Bushin unleashed a powerful barrage of attacks at a badly weakened Gaara and they were tossing Gaara about like he was a chew toy, Naruto knew that he would need to hurry, while he had Gaara on the ropes, he doubted it would remain that way for long since Gaara was not the kind of guy to give up easily, not to mention that demon inside of him could soon awaken and allow Gaara the chance to counter attack.

It was not long before Naruto's worries became reality as the sand that fell all over the place that fell from Gaara's monstrous sand form suddenly came to life and attacked him from behind, he moved away but his Kage Bushin were not as lucky as they were destroyed en masses as they were about to unleashed a massive wave of kicks on Gaara that would utterly shattered his sand armor as well as injure him greatly.

However, even though the sand came back to shield Gaara, the damage from Naruto's attacks was already evident as Gaara was bleeding on the forehead as well as on the left arm and right leg, the blood was there on his clothes as well as his flesh and he was in shock and rage, he had never endured the kind of pummeling the blonde had given him, he was able to shrug off Rock Lee's attacks and while he had been wounded by Sasuke, Sasuke never got to wound him again.

But this blonde ninja was assaulting him in ways that he had never been exposed to and the fact that he was still alive even after he was using all his best attacks to kill him made the already emotionally unstable Gaara lose more of his self control, he had enough of this and he was going to end this blonde ninja's life one way or the other!!!!

Naruto was still in his Dragon Ascendant state using the Wind Elemental form as he watched Gaara, intent in making sure that he was ready to counter the moves that Gaara would use to attack him when he least expected it. He had observed enough to know that Gaara was not going to take the attacks lying down and he would have to make his first move.

Gaara knew that he had to do something fast in order to finally defeat this blonde ninja who was proving to be a real tough warrior and that was when he decided to finally let the beast in him out.

With that, Gaara went deep in his psyche and the very second he was in his own mind; he unleashed the demon inside of himself. The sand around him quickly reacted to his wishes and soon enough, the sand began to grow even more and then….suddenly exploded all over the place in an apparent instant.

Naruto was about to attack when he saw what was happening and quickly moved away to get some room, and the move proved to be a good one as a massive fountain of sand erupted from where Gaara was on the battle field. Naruto managed to shield his face from the sand and so did Temari, Sasuke, Sakura, and Fenrix as well.

In the moment, they looked and Temari was in fear as she saw the form that was before her, she had never seen Gaara this desperate enough to use this form. It was already horrifying to see Gaara in his semi sand raccoon form while he was still in human form, but it was also impressive to see this blonde Genin named Naruto being able to stand up against Gaara and fight him well.

Now it seemed that Gaara had enough of this and was going to finish this fight one way or the other.

Gaara looked down at Naruto through the trees and glared at the Dragon Ascendant as Naruto looked back at him.

(You…..I will defeat you Naruto Uzumaki! You're death by my hand will become the true symbol of my existence!!!!)

Gaara was now on top of the head of a massive figure of sand, the sand seemed to be alive in some fashion as the sand crystals were reflecting the light, the sand also had violet lining as well, the figure resembled a raccoon with the same eyes that seemed to be like that of his raccoon sand form, while Gaara was now bare of the sand that had once covered him before he used this transformation. The form was massive, easily as high or higher than the mountain face that formed the Hokage Monument behind Konoha.

"Kami…"

"That guy….he's no ordinary ninja…"

Sasuke and Sakura gasped at the monstrous sight of the Sand Raccoon that was before them, they had never seen anything like this in their lives before, they both thought Gaara was not ordinary, now the sight of this massive sand monster was really unexpected. Sasuke couldn't help but wonder just how Naruto was going to fight his way of this one. Fenrix however looked on, hoping to see just what his student was going to do now with the threat before him. This was going to be a real test, Naruto's powers were going to have to be used tactically instead of just in the need to overwhelm this foe.

(Naruto….you may have to use all you have to even up the odds with Gaara, do what you can in order to defeat him.)

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"Wow….big!"

Naruto moved back and quickly grabbed onto a massive tree as Gaara unleashed a massive sand storm with chakra enhanced wind right at his face. The Dragon Ascendant dug in his hands and summoned his claws on his finger tips to hold himself in position to avoid being suddenly dragged all the way out. The blast of sand and air was immense and howling as Naruto held on as best he could from the attack itself. The move worked for a minute or two until the blast ripped Naruto off his location.

The blonde Genin quickly flipped out of the way as the blast unleashed rocks and trees as well as massive amounts of hard soil right at his face. He managed to avoid being blinded until three arms made of sand came right at him, he evaded one and destroyed the other, but Gaara created four more arms of sand attacked Naruto, forcing the blonde on the defensive in order to even things up before Gaara.

Gaara however had enough of this and unleashed a massive tsunami wave of sand that leaped out in Naruto's direction, forcing Naruto to move away as the sand covered the area before him, he moved to the tree tops and so had Temari, Sasuke, Sakura, and Fenrix.

However, the spreading of the sand was bad news as Gaara suddenly unleashed a massive wall of sand to rise up and surround Naruto and Naruto tried to escape but tendrils of sand came at him and quickly grabbed his legs, preventing his escape as the sand encased him, leaving his head exposed. Naruto glared at Gaara and then the sand constricted around Naruto.

"AAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Naruto gasped as he felt the sand begin to surround his body and he felt his body scream more in pain as he tried to free himself from Gaara's grip as the sand continued to surround him. He knew he had to do something fast before he was crushed by the sand arm of the massive sand construct of Gaara. The threat was further magnified as several massive blades made from hardened sand surrounded Naruto on sand tendrils and were dancing endlessly around him, all like snakes eager to bite into a struggling target.

Temari was looking on at this in horror at the moment.

(I've never seen Gaara this determined before….this is not going to be good.)

Gaara laughed as he continued to add the pressure on Naruto and then unleashed the sand blades at him.

"Now DIE!!!!"

Naruto however was not giving up just yet as he decided to even it up as he switched to another Elemental power and that was lightning and he shouted out.

"LIGHTNING SHIELD!!!!!!"

The massive arcs of Lighting that came out of Naruto's form was enough to cut through the sand that covered his body, the blonde then slammed his hands into the sand, that action was enough t destroy the sand blades coming towards him and send arcs of lightning right at Gaara but Naruto knew better than to think that the worst was over as Gaara managed to create some diamond spikes from his sand and redirect the lightning away from his body to prevent him from suffering any lasting damage. Gaara unleashed more massive sand spikes as Naruto did his best to dodge and evade as Gaara gathered his sand back to himself.

As soon as he got some distance, Naruto knew that now was the time for him to use that jutsu that was given to him by Jiraiya, despite powers, he was not skilled enough to take on a foe that size, but he knew just what or rather who could.

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Back in Konoha…

The battle in Konoha was quickly turning to the favor of the Konoha ninjas as more of their forces came into the battle, they had prepared ahead and all the civilians had already been secretly evacuated from the combat zone to lower the risk of heavy losses. Now it was time for the counter attack, and it seemed that a number of the Sound and Sand ninja were getting a full blown introduction to the various clans that resided in the village of Konoha.

Inoichi used his clan's Mind Body Switch Technique on his foes, making them turn on one another, Chouza unleashed his clan's Multi Size Technique to crush right through a large number of Sound and Sand Ninja, and Shikaku used the Shadow manipulation ability of his own clan to fight the attackers, they were not the only ones either as the ANBU under Uzuki Yuugao's command came in to fight as well, Hiashi also used the Byakugan to his best advantage against his attackers while Tsume Inuzuka and Hana Inuzuka with their animal companions also got into the act and fought with the Sound and Sand Ninja.

Sarutobi looked on at the sight before him and smiled…despite the fact that the Kusanagi was deep in his back with his Animal Summon, the Monkey King Enma holding on. The battle between the two of them started with a number of battle jutsu to even things between them with Orochimaru revealing the full extent of his corruption and lust for power, seeing that Orochimaru had done this further weighed heavily on the old man as he knew now how far her former student had fallen.

He had always told Jiraiya to be like Orochimaru in learning his ways of being a ninja, but when Orochimaru turned into the man he was now before his eyes, he knew that he should have done something, but he felt that he could try to steer Orochimaru to turn away from the dark path he had started to walk on, but his pleading fell to deaf ears, he made the right move to have Jiraiya's student take the place of Hokage, for he was truly a good man and the kind of man that was right for the position of Hokage, he had a chance to end Orochimaru's cruelty and evil when they tracked him down in the lab when the extent of his crimes became apparent…and he saw the extent of his former student's crimes.

He could have stopped it right there and then since he was not as old as he is now, but he failed, he let his past with Orochimaru blind him from doing what he should have, and Orochimaru escaped.

Now he had a chance and he was not going to waste it, however Orochimaru wasted no time of his own as he brought forth the First and Second Hokages to life using another one of his dark jutsu and using the bodies of his own followers as sacrifices, the two surviving Sound Genin since Dosu had been slain by Gaara since the former Sound Genin tried to slay Gaara. The battle between him and the former living Hokages was difficult indeed as Orochimaru had turned the former sibling leaders of Konoha into obedient servants of his own.

He had succeeded in preventing the next coffin that held the Fourth Hokage from rising as he knew the danger of facing the ninja called Konoha's Yellow Flash, but even if he prevented the Fourth from rising from his grave and allowing his remains to be left undisturbed, the sight that greeted him when the coffins opened was too much. And he knew that he was in for the fight of his life. Sarutobi knew that he was not going to have an easy chance in fighting his former teachers, even with Monkey King Enma on his side but he was not going to give up without a fight.

The First Hokage was the only known user of a Kekkai Genkai that allowed him to summon trees into combat and before Naruto was awakened to his own Kekkai Genkai, was the only known user of such an ability and the Second Hokage was then the only known master of Water based Jutsu without a water source nearby, the two had pushed him to the limits and since they were already dead to begin with even his best attacks were not that effective in defeating them. That and the fact that he was already an old man played a factor in the fight itself as he no longer had the same level of ability that he had when he was younger and had the title of Professor. However he was not the kind to give up despite the dangers before him and then used a powerful jutsu, something handed down to him by the Fourth Hokage when he stepped down from the position of being Hokage all those years ago.

The Jutsu known as the Shiki Fujin Jutsu was a technique that allowed a ninja to summon the power of the God of Death, an entity that feasted on the souls of those who died in battle or those he had been summoned to consume specifically. This was the ultimate way to end an enemy's life, but it was a double edged sword, to do this jutsu, the user had to allow himself to be taken by the Death God, with the Death God using his or her soul as payment for the summoning. The worst was that when the target's soul had been consumed by the God of Death, then the summoner would also join the soul of the one they had targeted to fight in the belly of the God of Death for eternity. It was a high price, but in his mind, it was a price he was willing to pay for his own mistake in letting Orochimaru escape and unleash terror in the world all those years ago.

He was trapped by the Second Hokage and the First but battled on as he used the Jutsu and then with great effort and the use of his Kage Bushin, he was able to restrain both the former Hokages and then extract their souls but not before sharing fateful words with his former mentors as well as the souls of the Kage Bushin as they faded into smoke, and it was in that moment as well that he was then able see the extent of his former student's madness as well as his complete lack of humanity and empathy for human life as the now soulless bodies fell to the ground in heaps of dust and ash.

Two of the Sound Genin team sent to kill Sasuke revealed themselves in the ashes of the First and the Second Hokage. Kin and Zaku lay before him, their bodies already pale and dead, their eyes widened in horror and pain as they had no doubt were unaware of what they had just been subjected to by Orochimaru when he had taken them to see the two caskets of the Hokages.

This further angered Sarutobi as he looked at the two dead ninja and then to his former student, calling him truly mad for willingly using his own people like this, Orochimaru merely laughed and said that they were pawns nothing more that angered the elderly Hokage and he made his move to restrain Orochimaru, allowing the former Konoha Sannin to see the God of Death for the very first time in his life.

This led to the current situation as Orochimaru had acted out of a desire to avoid the fates of both the First and the Second Hokage by calling his Kusanagi sword to stab and kill Sarutobi from behind him. The elderly Hokage was caught off guard but fought off the pain and shock and still was intent on ending his former student's life.

However, he could feel his own life fading as Orochimaru tried to escape once more and in that moment, the old Hokage knew that he cannot take Orochimaru's soul completely and he decided on the next best thing, a fitting punishment for the former Sannin and student of his.

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Back in the battle between Gaara and Naruto…

Naruto focused himself and then bit his finger to draw blood and then placed it on the tree branch and hope for the best. He had only done this jutsu once and thus he hoped that he would get this one right. He recalled just how he had been able to gain the use of this jutsu, and it was also when he was finally able to come face to face with none other than the Kyuubi itself.

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Flashback to a nearby valley…

Naruto was busy training with both Fenrix and Jiraiya as the Sannin and the senior Dragon Ascendant watched Naruto spar with not just a large number of his own Kage Bushin but several of Jiraiya's own Kage Bushin. As the blonde fought with his Kage Bushin as well as learning the foundations of his new technique in using his Kekkai Genkai in being able to switch and utilize the five elements, the two chatted for a while.

While Fenrix was already aware of Naruto's secret lineage, it made him feel more at ease with talking to Jiraiya, he knew that from the records from his own master Valen that Jiraiya was the sensei of the former Fourth Hokage who was blood related to Naruto, he also knew of the legacy of the Fourth Hokage and the reason why no one knew just how closely related Naruto was to the Fourth Hokage. It was something that the Dragon Ascendant could understand in his own fashion. The Fourth Hokage was a remarkable man and so was his wife, it was a shame that both were not about to see their son grow up.

As they finished their discussion, the Sannin decided to push forward his idea and Fenrix had to admit that despite knowing full well about the ability Jiraiya had in the sense of being able to summon Frogs. Giving this ability to Naruto would further supplement his already growing abilities and would be handy in the battles that were soon to come. Besides, he had been familiar with animal summons before in his younger days, though not in the way done so in Naruto's world.

He knew that like other worlds that had Dragons that resided in them, there had been Ascendants and Dragons in this world, however Naruto's world had a different history than the other worlds once home Dragons and other Ascendants like himself. The creatures left in the land had changed for many centuries ever since the exodus of the Dragons, the Dragon Kings and the loyalist Ascendants from the realms and worlds.

With the approval of both Jiraiya and his Dragon Ascendant teacher, Naruto decided to focus his powers as well as being able to tap into the power of the Kyuubi, he knew that this was not going to be easy, Fenrix had explained to him that the Kyuubi had managed to contain his Dragon Ascendant powers when he was younger, and the Kyuubi would no doubt be in a very foul mood should the two of them finally meet face to face.

He had asked if there was some way to force the Kyuubi out of him, but the Senior Ascendant replied that the idea was too risky in the sense that he and the Kyuubi were bound long before he was given the powers of the Blood Ascension Ceremony and therefore the removal of the Kyuubi could very well kill him. Naruto was not very happy with the news but decided to make the most of it. He wrote his name on the scroll and then began to focus his chakra however he decided to pay the Kyuubi a visit.

He quickly found himself before a massive gate and there was some sort of paper seal, before he could make sense of where he was at the moment, a massive roar was heard and he looked to see two glowing red eyes behind the bars, which were quickly followed by what appeared to be a massive form and sure enough he was quick to stay where he was as she could see the outline of a paw with some very nasty claws.

((So, may jailer decided to pay me a visit…))

Naruto recovered from the surprise and then spoke to the being before him, who he now recognized.

"You're the Kyuubi aren't you?"

((Very good brat, though I doubt I can call you that since you're powers as an Ascendant are now awakened, though restrained, had I moved faster all those years ago, I would have been able to fully restrain that power….however, that idiot with the snake powers interfered with another of my attempts to seal away your Dragon King powers for good.))

"You know about it?"

((Yes I do….I was hoping to seal it's powers away, but the consecrated blood Of a Dragon King is nigh impossible to seal easily, and now that it's unleashed from my attempts there's nothing I can do to contain it. I cannot kill you since you contain me and should you die, then I will die, but since your Dragon Ascendant's powers are awakened, I have no chance of even remotely harming you to begin with. So what do you want from me?))

Naruto then spoke about gaining the chakra of the Kyuubi and with that the Kyuubi growled and replied.

((You already have the power of the Dragon Ascendants, and they were more than able to outmatch even my power in the past, though that was when I was younger and more naïve, and you have the consecrated blood of a Dragon King flowing in your veins as well! What kind of help could I possibly give you?))

"You can give me help when I can't use my Ascendant powers you fur ball! I doubt you'd like it if you were only stuck behind that cage all your life, besides that you're my tenant so you owe me rent."

((I OWE YOU RENT?!))

"Damn right you do! You've been in my for the past twelve years of my life and in those twelve years, you've made my life miserable so I think it's high time you gave back something for all the trouble you caused!"

The Kyuubi growled and then replied.

((Very well then, here is my power so use it well, you may have potential to surpass me, but until then you had better not die!))

In that moment after returning from the area where the Kyuubi had been sealed away Naruto felt the power of the Kyuubi fill him and then he bit his finger to drawn the blood after he had felt the level of chakra he had grow and be more than enough for any jutsu he might use though now was the time to see if the chakra he had from his own reserves and the chakra of the Kyuubi was enough. He then placed his hand on the ground and saw the symbols and shouted out the command for the jutsu to be used.

"KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!"

In that moment a massive surge of energy was felt by everyone in the area and there in a moment was a massive cloud of smoke that was reaching upwards, Naruto stepped back a bit but was quickly taken to the top as he was now deep in the smoke. The whole thing lasted for a moment or two and then Naruto found himself on top of what felt like….cloth, he stood up and found himself on top of something that was massive and that from the fact that he could feel it moving up and down as well as hearing breathing sounds, it was alive as well. He leaped off and then turned to see just what he had summoned on his first try.

Naruto was struck dumb by the sight of the massive toad that was before him at this moment. The creature had deep red skin and had on a pipe in it's mouth as well as a massive open jacket on it and what appeared to be a massive sheath with a short sword on it. He had never expected to be summoning a massive creature like this on his first try. But he had to admit that the sight was very good to him to be able to get this far.

The toad then looked about and then spotted Jiraiya and spoke.

"Well now, it seems I finally got summoned in a place that is not the least bit uncomfortable or strange, but still, there seems to be no fighting happening here Jiraiya, so why am I summoned you pervert?"

Jiraiya laughed at that and then spoke towards the big toad.

"Actually I didn't summon you Gamabunta, the young man over there did."

Gamabunta looked at Naruto and seemed to sniff him a bit and then he removed his pipe and gave out a long smoke, as soon as he was done, the Toad Summon spoke.

"A Dragon Ascendant…and such a young one too, I never thought the day would come I'd meet one again, much less have one as my newly contracted summoner. Tell me, what's your name?"

Naruto could tell that this Toad Summon was very powerful just by being near him, his Dragon Ascendant senses were pulsing from the power coming from the massive toad. Apart from that, Fenrix had taught him to respect those with power especially those of a nature that was not that of the human form and this toad before him was one of them and he gave his name.

"Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki, and who are you?"

"I? I am Gamabunta, chief of all Toad Summons, normally I would expect a greater deal of respect from a summoner, but as a Dragon Ascendant I will let that slide for now, you however had better call me Chief Toad the next time we meet."

As soon as that was out of the way, Gamabunta turned his attention to Jiraiya and then spoke to the Sannin.

"Now then Jiraiya, your young friend here succeeded in summoning me but there seems to be no fighting involved so either I go back home or we have a sake drinking session."

"I should have known you'd say that Gamabunta, by the way, nice work on your summoning Naruto, though summoning Gamabunta on your first try as was a bit much."

Naruto gave a slight laugh as well as scratching the back of his head, and Fenrix was then examined by Gamabunta as the senior Ascendant looked at the chief toad. The giant toad then spoke to the older Ascendant.

"Yet another Ascendant…I never thought your race would ever return to this world, I was still a tadpole when you're race decided to leave this land after the other Ascendants started rebelling, what brings your kind back here I wonder."

Fenrix then replied.

"That will be a very long story Gamabunta."

The Toad Summon nodded and then spoke to Naruto.

"Now then, if you want to be able to command me, you will have to share a drink of good sake with me as well as Jiraiya, and considering that you are a Dragon Ascendant, I think you will be able to stomach the sake."

Naruto had hoped to resist the idea but Fenrix told him that it was all right and he joined the group in a sake drinking session.

It was not long before Naruto got to taste sake for the very first time in his life, while he was still young by human standards, the fact that he now had the constitution of a Dragon meant that he was a lot more resistant to the effects of drinking sake or any alcoholic beverage for that matter and he had to admit that he was developing a liking to sake. Gamabunta was happy to see his newest summoner was getting deep into the spirit of things and had quite a resistance and he poured even more.

Jiraiya had to admit that he was worried about Naruto the very second the young blonde ninja would drink the sake, the young blonde was quick to develop a liking for sake despite the fact that he was technically underage for drinking liquor, the blonde had to admit that there was a part of him that wondered just what sake tasted and while it did burn his mouth somewhat.

The drinking session lasted well into the night and as soon as he was tucked away, Gamabunta had considered the young man a newbie in the art of drinking, but pretty good to have downed a number of bottles with him, Fenrix and Jiraiya.

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End of Flashback…

The next day he woke up with only a slight buzz, that being the only result of his drinking at least three sake bottles in one session, now that might not have sounded like much at face value, but in reality, the sake bottles that Gamabunta brought with him were about the size of small storage sheds.

He placed that aside and summoned his chakra as well as his Dragon Ascendant powers and shouted out the command.

"KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!"

The area was once more surrounded by a massive blast of smoke and there before the massive sand raccoon under the command of Gaara was Gamabunta with Naruto right on top of his head and he was using his chakra to hold himself steady on the Toad Summon' head at this moment. Naruto was relieved he was able to pull off the sum

Temari gasped as she looked at the sight before her, she was instructed in all the needed information about Konoha as well as it's known allies, and therefore she recognized just what or rather who the blonde ninja had summoned.

"I don't believe it….that blonde could do such a high level summon…he's supposed to be a Genin!"

Temari was among the very few Genin in the history of Suna to be able to summon an animal summon for combat, yet this young man from Konoha could summon such a high level summon which would have demanded a great level of chakra. This Naruto was proving to be one very deadly threat in combat.

"Incredible!!!"

Sakura spoke out as she saw Naruto summon Gamabunta, she had no idea just where Naruto learned that jutsu, but it was certainly one for the record books!

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Back in the confrontation…

Gamabunta looked at the sight before him and spoke to the blonde ninja and Dragon Ascendant.

"So what sort of mess is it this time Naruto? Looks like you're fighting the Shukaku and the Jinchuuriki from the looks of it."

Naruto was rather surprised at that, he was not expecting the giant leader of the Toad Summons to know just who it was that he was fighting.

"You know the Shukaku?"

The massive toad nodded and replied.

"I have been in this world for a very long time Naruto and I have seen the bijuu in all their power, however this one who controls and houses the Shukaku appears to not have allowed himself to fall asleep yet, we should defeat him now before he decides to use some sort of jutsu to place himself into sleep, when he does, then we're going to be in for it."

"Right! Let's get him Boss Toad!!!"

Gamabunta then took out his dagger and the two attacked, Gamabunta sliced off the arm of the massive sand construct that replicated the sand raccoon demon and the fight was well underway with Naruto unleashing attacks of his own to supplement the attacks used by Gamabunta in fighting Gaara and the massive sand form that he was currently using in combat.

Gaara managed to use the sand to block most of Naruto attacks until the blonde shouted out his kage Bushin and then he was joined by four more Kage Bushin and then the sand ninja was now facing gusts of wind, walls of earth, waves of water, bursts of fire and bolts of lightning from the blonde Genin who was still proving to be quite a pest and Gamabunta added to that by unleashing a number of deadly Water attacks showing that he was able to use water based jutsu, befitting his nature as an animal summon who was attuned to water.

"WATER BULLET!!!"

The massive blasts of water slammed hard as Gaara managed to shield himself as well as resisting the attack of Lightning from one of the Kage Bushin that was there with Naruto. He growled and then decided to finally end this fight once and for all. As Gamabunta used his short sword to tear off yet another part of the body of the sand form of his tailed beast, the young Sand Genin decided to use that jutsu, the one he had never resorted to for a long time, but now had no choice but to use to finally kill Naruto.

(I WILL KILL YOU!!!!)

Gamabunta quickly recognized the technique about to be used by Gaara and spoke.

"That is not good! That boy is going to let himself be put to sleep using a jutsu!"

"What good will that do him anyway?!"

"That boy as you might have found out is the container of the Shukaku, I know for a fact that demon beast is a violent being that loves nothing more than overwhelm the mind of its current host and I can bet that young man's been trying to stay awake to keep that blasted monster from consuming his entire mind. The Shukaku's a blood thirsty creature and no doubt demands sacrifices in blood to satisfy itself and that kid does it to placate the thing…"

"Kami….is that what made Gaara become a monster?!"

"That is possible….but we have no time, the second that jutsu works, we won't be fighting that kid anymore, we'll be fighting the Shukaku!"

And sure enough it was not long before Gaara succeeded in putting himself to sleep and then the Shukaku came out and Naruto could tell that Gamabunta was right, the Shukaku was indeed crazy as well as blood thirsty as it talked like it was drunk and wanted to kill them both.

They were forced on the defensive at this point as the Shukaku began to unleash massive blasts of pure chakra enhanced air. Gamabunta then told Naruto that the only way to repress the Shukaku was to wake Gaara up with a strike. However that was not going to be simple as Gamabunta had to do his best to avoid the powerful attacks of the Shukaku lest they took a fatal hit.

Naruto decided to do his absolute best to slow down Gaara and the Shukaku, after Gamabunta told him that the only way to stop the Shukaku's rampage was to strike at Gaara to wake him up and ensure that the spell would be broken, banishing the Shukaku back into the recesses of Gaara's mind, he understood that the best chance they had was to restrain the Shukaku long enough for a strike to be used on Gaara. However, he knew that the Boss Toad would not be able to hold on for long due to not having the limbs to grab onto the Shukaku since he was a toad so he decided to try a different approach.

"I got an idea Boss Toad!!!"

"Then go for it kid! I doubt we'll be able to keep up this dodging game for long!"

Naruto quickly had his Kage Bushin to who was a user of the Fire Element to aim for the Shukaku's legs and free arm when he could while the two other Kage Bushin who could use both Earth and Wind to try and create sand. The plan seemed odd but Naruto knew that if he got this right, he could have a chance to allow Gamabunta to get him closer. The Fire wielding Kage Bushin went to work on aiming at the legs of the Shukaku, making the massive creature even angrier while the other two Kage Bushin continued to attack with Earth and Wind to create sand. The attack was working despite the fact that he could sense his powers beginning to fade as he was using a considerable portion of his powers for this move.

The attack continued and Shukaku was getting annoyed.

"Hold still so I can kill you!!!!!!"

Gamabunta retorted at that as he leaped away.

"Not going to happen!!!"

Naruto knew that he had to hurry but doing this was not as easy as one might think, he focused on defending himself and Gamabunta at the same time while attacking the massive sand form of Shukaku and the situation was not looking very promising as the battle continued to grow in intensity. However the young ninja and Dragon Ascendant was not going to give up as he and his Kage Bushin continued to do the best they could in order to stop Shukaku .

It took a lot of energy to make the amounts of sand that he needed as well as attacking the Shukaku while holding onto Gamabunta, but now he had a chance and then he summoned yet another brand of Kage Bushin and they all were of the Fire Element and they all directed their attack at Shukaku's limbs just as the two other Kage Bushin using Earth and Wind respectively guided the created sand at the limbs of the Shukaku.

"BLAZING WAVE!!!"

All six Kage Bushin unleashed massive tongues of fire as well as fire from their mouths and the fire hit the sand that the two other Kage Bushin sent at the Shukaku, the sand raccoon demon laughed and was about to close the gap to blast Gamabunta and Naruto point blank with it's chakra enhanced wind bullet but then to it's shock, it's limbs were encased in solid diamond crystals.

"WHAT THE?!"

"GO FOR IT BOSS TOAD!!!"

Gamabunta quickly moved in and grabbed the Shukaku as the creature couldn't move as the massive crystals made from diamond had encased the legs and free arm for a good amount of time, Gamabunta realized that the previous attacks with flame were not meant to harm the Shukaku but to change the composition of the sand as well as get it ready to be transformed into diamond crystal. The Toad Summon was finally able to grab the Shukaku and Naruto quickly gathered himself to the attack, his body was exhausted from all he had done but he was far from out of the fight and as he closed in and readied his fist he aimed to wake Gaara with one blow.

"HEY YOU!!! WAKE UP!!!"

WHAP!!!

The blow was hard enough to send Gaara moving to the side, not enough to kill him as Naruto's strength was lower than before due to the previous battles and he lower energy reserves. The blow however was more than enough to wake Gaara from the sleeping jutsu and the Shukaku roared as well as swore as it was banished back into the recesses of Gaara's mind.

"DAMN IT!!!! I JUST GOT OUT!!!! I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!!!!"

With that Gaara was now aware and felt the massive pain his body as he glared at Naruto who glared righty back at him, and before Naruto could attack to finish him off, the brother of Kankurou and Temari unleashed several more tendrils of sand to restrain Naruto and crush him, but Gamabunta was able to shield the boy with his tongue despite the fact that the tendrils of sand were sharpened like diamond blades and drew blood from the tongue of the massive Toad Summon, but Gaara was far from defeated as he gathered his chakra and controlled the sand all over the area where he and Naruto were once more and began to fight back.

Inside the area sealed off by Gamabunta's tongue, Naruto felt the sand wrapping around him and he knew that even if the tongue of the Boss Toad shielded him, he still had to get out, and he decided to do what he could with the energy he had left and changed to his Water Element and then unleashed a massive blast of icy mist and the sand froze around him as Gamabunta finally couldn't hang on anymore and released his tongue.

Gamabunta watched as Naruto fought free and finally hit Gaara with yet another blow that finally sent the sand falling apart and break as well. The Toad Summon watched as the sand raccoon construct fell to pieces and smile mentally to himself as he spoke.

"That boy has got power and guts, this will be worth seeing to the end, but not for me, my chakra is out, not bad kid, you might become as good as the Fourth, or even better, if we meet again, I think we need to share some drinks."

With that Gamabunta faded away in a puff of smoke as both Gaara and Naruto looked at one another after landing two opposing tree tope

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In Konoha…

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

That was the only scream that was heard in the massive barrier that kept Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru locked in combat with one another and the scream was that of Orochimaru as he had just witnessed something that made him afraid as well horrified. Hiruzen had allowed the God of Death to consume the arms of Orochimaru's soul and deny him the use of his jutsu arsenal. He coughed as he felt the God of Death take his soul as well and he used his last moments of life to speak.

"A fitting punishment for one so obsessed with power…farewell my foolish student…I am sad I will never….get to finish you the way….I wanted."

"YOU!!!! YOU OLD FOOL!!!! GIVE ME BACK MY ARMS!!!!"

As he fell to the ground, Sarutobi saw the faces of his former teachers, The First and the Second Hokage, their words echoing in his mind, he then thought of all the people he had met and known, the young people of the village, and those who he called family, and then he thought of Naruto as well as his meeting with Valen and Fenrix, he smiled at that and then looked to see the face of Orochimaru, but it was not the face of the madman before him…

But the face of the quiet, kind, honest, skilled and gentle young man he once was so long ago….and in that moment, he died.

Monkey King Enma spoke his final words and removed the sword from Hiruzen's back and he himself faded away in a puff of smoke. Orochimaru was angered at the fate, he had killed his sensei, but his plan to destroy Konoha and claim Sasuke had failed for this day and the loss of his arms was something that he knew would haunt him until the time was right. He moved away as the burning pain filled him as his arms were now dead to the world, he could move them but he could never use any jutsu until the time came.

"Orochimaru-sama!!!"

Orochimaru turned to his elite group of ninja from Sound and spoke seriously.

"This mission is over, deactivate the barrier!"

With that done, the barrier that had sealed him and Hiruzen in the battle field was removed and the group of loyal Sound Genin took him away, the Konoha ANBU tired to follow but were unable to as they were restrained by one of the Sound Genin who manufactured some form of web to catch them.

At the bottom, Kakashi, Gai, and Genma were facing Baki and the now revealed Kabuto and as the two were about to leave, Kabuto then spoke seriously to Kakashi.

"It seems you have quite the handful of ninja, one has the Sharingan and the others possesses a Kekkai Genkai that is unheard of, make sure that you train both of them well Kakashi, sooner or later, Sasuke-kun will be on the side Orochimaru-sama, and I will find out what makes Naruto-kun that powerful, mark my words on that."

As Kabuto and Baki left the scene, Kakashi halted both Gai and Genma and they all gathered the remaining Jonin including Asuma and Yuhi Kurenai as well as Mitarashi Anko herself and they quickly made their way to the roof but not before freeing the ANBU to be on the safe side of things. They could only hope that their Hokage was still alive and safe.

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Back in the valley…

Naruto and Gaara lay on the ground for what seemed like an eternity, both exhausted beyond normal human limits and it seemed that time had stood still for merely a moment. Gaara had never felt this way, he had been pushed further and greater than he had ever been in his whole life by this blonde ninja from Konoha. He had pushed him to summon even Shukaku and still he couldn't beat this blonde ninja named Naruto Uzumaki.

(What the hell is he?!)

The Sand Shinobi turned and to his horror, the once unconscious Naruto began to rise, and move towards him, his eyes filled with killing intent

Gaara looked on and shouted out in desperation as he felt fear and terror, it was so thick and so strong in him he felt like he was going to choke on it all….

"NO!!!! STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!!!"

Naruto got up and moved closer and then summoned a blade of wind into his hand, but since in terms of Ascendants, his powers were still very young so the sword vanished and he fell to his knees, he tried to get up and focus on stopping Gaara from getting up Gaara tried to move but his body was badly drained of chakra, Naruto was pushed to his limit and by most records, he would not have been able to get up after what he had done to face Gaara.

Naruto however managed to move his body once more and get to his knees and began to stand up, falling once more to the ground showing just

But to his shock, Naruto was not showing a look of eagerness in killing him, but sadness and regret…

(What the?!)

"It's painful to be alone….isn't it?"

Naruto felt his body reach his limits, his powers were not that strong, not like Fenrix and as such he had to dig deep into himself and summon the power of the Kyuubi for the first time in his life now as a Dragon Ascendant, but he was not the kind to just give up as he struggled to get himself to Gaara to stop him. However he decided to speak to Gaara at this moment.

"I know how that feels, just like you do."

"What?"

Naruto managed to get enough strength to reach at nearby tree and sit down just for a second and he spoke.

"You and I….we are the same."

"How can you say that?! You and I a are not alike!!!"

"Remember when….we were in the hospital and I said I had a demon in me as well? I wasn't lying about that…."

"What?"

"I am like you Gaara, I too contain a demon, and the Kyuubi is inside me."

Gaara wanted to deny it, but something deep in his mind told him that there was no lie in the way Naruto spoke and as he looked at the blonde who stared back at him and he could tell that the blonde ninja meant each word. He then saw Naruto reveal the mark and while the seal was not the same as his was, he could see that it was a very complex and powerful seal, something used only to contain something of immense power. That was the proof Gaara needed to see to know that Naruto was correct in stating that they were the same.

"But, there is a difference between you and me….I have friends, people I care about in this world, I won't anyone hurt them, including you. If I have to kill you to stop you Gaara, I will!"

Naruto then moved forward despite the injuries he had since the fighting. Gaara managed to finally find some level of strength to move but only to reach a nearby rock and sit up on it and he spoke then to Naruto, amazed that even after the pounding they both went through, and the fact that he was out of strength, the blonde ninja who was like him still had what it took to move.

"Why do you fight for them so much? Why….don't you fight for yourself?"

"Because they saved me from becoming lost in hatred, pain, suffering, torment, and anger, they saved me from my own hell. They gave me purpose, they gave me a place to call home, and they are friends….and I will fight for them to my last breath!!!"

Naruto tried to get closer but it was then that Fenrix as well as Sasuke and Sakura arrived on the scene. Sasuke spoke to Naruto.

"Hey, that's enough….this fight's over, you've won, he's got no strength left to fight back."

Sakura also nodded and spoke.

"You don't have to do this anymore Naruto, this fight is over."

Naruto smiled at that and fell to the ground, the two members of his team became worried but Fenrix shook his head with a smile.

"He's fine…he needs to just rest."

The others faced Gaara just as Temari and Kankurou showed up, the two siblings looked at their brother shocked at how badly beaten and exhausted he looked at the moment, They then faced the group while Sakura and Sasuke got ready for a possible attack while Fenrix replied as he revealed his own tattoos and they colors swirled, showing that while he had no doubt he could beat them easily, he was not going to waste his energy on them, this fight was over so there was no need for him to fight..

"You will gain nothing staying here, this fight is over, your side lost."

"H-He's right….this is enough, the plan failed…"

Temari and Kankurou turned to their brother and Kankurou decided to help their brother out of the area and so did Temari, after seeing how Naruto fought with their brother and knowing now that Fenrix was far greater in terms of power and ability than Naruto, they would stand no chance before him. With that in mind the three left the scene, allowing Fenrix to carry Naruto on his back while Sasuke and Sakura rallied with both Shikamaru and Shino as well as Shino's father and Asuma while the senior Dragon Ascendant unleashed his wings to fly back to Konoha.

There in the village of Konoha, the bad news of the death of the Third Hokage was already moving about, dampening the victory earned by the forces of Konoha at the loss of their leader. However, they saw on his face a smile showing that while he died, he was happy to have given his all in the defense of the village.

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To be continued…

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Author's Notes:

I have to apologize for the mix-ups in the story, I had a lot to deal with at the time so I kind of messed up at some important points in the story but finished it and fixed it up as best I could at any rate.

So far Naruto has actually been able to share drinks with Gamabunta thanks to the constitution of a Dragon Ascendant and the fact that he is an Ascendant makes Gamabunta respect him to a certain degree. How exactly does Gamabunta know about the Dragon Ascendants will be answered in the coming chapters soon enough, and the answers might very well surprise you once the ideas are organized well enough.

And don't worry about Gamakichi and Gamatatsu, they will show up soon enough in this story of mine so excuse me while I get things organized for the next chapter!!!

If there are reviews, comments, constructive critiques, complaints and suggestions, then send them my way, but don't flame me since it's a waste of my time and yours.

The reason this has not been updated is I needed to work on other matters and I do have a life beyond this PC after all so cut me some slack, we all have real life to deal with and I have more to deal with since I am going back to School for my Second Course Semester.

See you later!


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto Dragon Ascendant

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any related media.

Chapter 5

The Search for a Leader

( ): Thoughts

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Days later…

Konoha was very busy in the rebuilding itself after the invasion of both Suna and Oto, and it was taking a while, gathering the dead and preparing them for burial, rebuilding homes, salvaging materials from =ruined houses for re-use, and also sending out request orders for skilled workers to help with rebuilding the village itself. Thankfully none of the VIPs were harmed and many were able to go back home as well. It was also something of a very solemn occasion as their Hokage, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi was buried in full honors for his deeds and his sacrifice in ensuring that Konoha would not fall.

Many other ninja who died were also given honorary burial and while there were those who sought to avenge themselves by attacking Sound and Sand for this attack, the Council forbade military action as they were not in authority to authorize the attack and doing so would not be a wise move.

So far the village had much to work on in order to be back at full form, however, the fact that manpower was currently in short supply due to their losses, the Konoha Council had no choice but to get every available ninja they could get their hands on, even Genin were now taking on assignments that were normally reserved for Chuunin as many were slain.

However they were thankful that their casualties were not very high, thanks to a certain pair of warriors who were with them. When the ninjas saw Naruto and Fenrix summon the giant tree men, they were shocked, it had already filled the village that Naruto wielded a powerful Kekkai Genkai and had proven to be very more than able to defeat the Byakugan, one of the noble Kekkai Genkai and that was a great feat, and summoning those living tree men was something else entirely.

Many of the people had seen the tree men crush and stomp down on the Sand and Sound forces and even veteran ninja had to admit that the sight was ghastly as the Ents did their work and the forces of the invaders were crushed to literal pulp. To see the trees surrounding their village come to life to fight for Naruto was something they thought they would never be able to see in their lifetimes. That had been a great source of questions on what other powers Naruto had as a result of his Kekkai Genkai and there was the fact that he was head of a new clan.

That had been the talk of the village recently and it had been a source great speculation as well. While there were still those who distrusted or were hostile to Naruto, they no realized that attacking the youth was out of the question, if he could do all that in combat, then any attack they would make would be tantamount to committing suicide.

Others such as Konohamaru however was very happy for his boss and he was eager to see if Naruto could teach him how to do those amazing abilities he had seen before. The grandson of the Third Hokage was very eager to see how powerful he would become and how he could learn and grow to get a chance to face his friend and rival for the office of Hokage someday.

There was also talk of the fact that Naruto was head of the clan and he would need to find others to add to his clan to make it grow and prosper, there were some very serious discussions that were considered somewhat inappropriate by others but there was no stopping it at this moment while construction was going.

The village was going to be under the rule of the Konoha Ninja Council in the absence or rather, the death of Hiruzen Sarutobi and at the moment, they had just recently gotten word that the people of Sand had discovered that their Kazekage was found slain and they had discovered that the killer had been Orochimaru and he had masqueraded as their Kazekage from the start of the whole affair and had deceived them all. This was why they were giving an unconditional surrender and while there were some of the village who wanted them to pay dearly for breaking the alliance, the elders forbade it as they knew that doing so in their current state would be bad news indeed.

Now the Council had to deal with re-construction and hiring both workers from within the Land of Fire and outside of it in order to fix the damage done to it by the invaders and it was going to be a while before things were back to normal.

--------

In Naruto's new home…

Naruto was busy sparing with his sensei in the art of being a Dragon Ascendant as they were in the training hall of his home/fortress, the two had spent as much time as they could in improving his abilities for combat as well as traveling with Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura when they were sent out on patrol missions. So far there was no mission available that was higher than B-Rank for the moment so he spent as much time as he could with his team so not to get lost in what was happening at the moment.

The blonde ninja had to admit that using the powers he had was a rush and he had asked Sasuke what it felt like to get his Sharingan for the first time, it was somewhat a surprising question for the last Uchiha survivor but he answered that it was not painless but it helped a great deal. That was enough for him as he and the others continued with their missions. It was then that Kakashi brought up the question on how he was feeling on being head of his own Clan.

Naruto couldn't help but blush at that and told them what exactly Fenrix told them and that got a smile out of Kakashi as well as a deep blush from Sakura and even a slight smirk from Sasuke. The Jonin then told Naruto that it was how things started after all for most clans, they needed to be able to grow which was why there was the law of polygamy so they could grow at the right numbers, and then Kakashi asked him does he have any plans to take a wife.

The second the Jonin asked him that question, the blonde shook his head and blushed wildly at the idea of him getting married at so young an age and he made that very plain, much to the utter amusement of his team, even Sasuke couldn't help but find it rather humorous the way Naruto was going at it and blushing as hard as he was at this moment.

As he thought back on his time with the team, he looked at his Dragon Ascendant sensei

"Fenrix-sensei, can I ask you something?"

"Of course. What is it you wish to ask me Naruto?"

Naruto knew that this was a very personal question, but he wanted to know something more about his sensei in the ways of the Ascendants.

"Have you….ever fallen in love?"

Fenrix gave a slightly amused expression at that and replied.

'My, that is quite the question Naruto, why are you taking an interesting in my love life?"

"Well, if you don't want to sensei, I guess…."

"No, it's all right. I've been in love before Naruto, I still remember her so long ago, and that was quite a while. Do you want me to tell you who she was?"

Naruto nodded and Fenrix thought back about the past, it was so long ago now, but he remembered it as clear as day.

"I met my beloved when we were just children actually, I wasn't even an Ascendant then, I was just a regular young man, full of dreams, hopes, plans, and always having a loud mouth, causing trouble….kind of like you in a way. In that regard, you could say you remind me of myself so long ago. I was just the simple son of a militia man, and she….well, she was the daughter of a noble."

"I was there training one day when she walked towards me and asked me if I wouldn't mind playing with her. Tamara never got along with other children of nobles, always squabbling and causing all sorts of trouble for their own benefit. I was rather surprised then and thought she was going to get me in trouble…"

"What happened?"

"We became good friends for years, as she grew up, she was more a noble lady to everyone, but with me, she loved to ride on horseback, move through the forests, and live a happy life, I still recall seeing her playing near a river on one of our outings and she would move her hair in the wind and smile happily. She was beautiful Naruto…."

"What happened then?"

Fenrix sighed and replied.

"She was the daughter of a noble family after all, and she was destined to be married off to another, I was devastated to hear of it and so was she, but she had to do it, however, before she left, she told me she would always love me no matter what happened. Weeks after she left, I trained my best to be a strong fighter, and I did so and rose to be one of the best soldiers in the army then, it was after many years that I was told by Tamara's father that he wanted me to go see her in her husband's home. I did and she was still radiantly beautiful, but she was sad and seemingly lost of her usual spark for like as well. Her husband pretended to be a great and caring man, but I learned differently, he was neglectful, wasteful of his inheritance, and he hurt her badly and treated her more like an object than a woman. I felt my blood boil many times over at that and it took so much of my inner will to not cut him down there and then. I gathered all the evidence I could and then returned to her father."

"And?"

"And she was able to leave him….the man was imprisoned after that and I was allowed to be with Tamara, she had suffered a lot, but she endured and we were married, she was afraid I would never want her for what happened to her. But I loved her, and no amount of time could change that and I wanted her more. Those were the best years of our life and I cherished them. But the pain and suffering finally took their toll on her….and she passed away, I lost her…as well as our first born child. I was inconsolable, and I wanted to die so badly, I nearly fell on my own sword."

Naruto was silent and he couldn't help but feel great sympathy for his mentor.

"It was then that I met Valen and he allowed me to see her again in the spirit world, I told her that I was so sorry that I had never been able to tell her how I felt, how I loved her and how foolish I was to have not said it out loud, and she told me that it was all right, she always knew that I loved her, and she would always love me no matter what, and she would watch over me as well, alongside our child in the afterlife. That brought me much peace, more than I ever could imagine, and when I knew that Master Valen was a Dragon King, I became his student….and became a Dragon Ascendant."

"Wow….what happened after that?"

"I spent time seeing other lands, seeing civilizations rise and fall, and more besides, but I learned one thing as I watched others who were in love, and I will teach you what I have learned about love since you asked me about love Naruto, so listen closely to what I have to say."

"Yes sensei!"

"Very well, love is a beautiful thing Naruto, it can make you feel emotions you have never ever felt before and it can be something that you can never really forget, thus no matter how many times you feel it, treasure love because it will be something that can keep you strong in the dark times ahead. Anyway, I think that it's best that we continued with your training, all right?"

Naruto nodded as the two of them continued with their training as they traded punches and strikes at one another as they moved back and forth in the battle ahead of them as they unleashed tongues of either flame, water, earth, air, and lighting at one another in their Elemental Taijutsu training, Naruto's body was healing rapidly and no doubt in Fenrix' mind Naruto would be more than ready for any possible danger.

Hours later….Fenrix stopped the training and decided to teach Naruto a powerful spell that could be very useful to his student.

"Naruto, I am about to teach you a very special power that may very well tip the scales in your favor in a fight."

"What is that Fenrix-sensei?"

"This is called the Elemental Life Force Technique."

"Elemental Life Force Technique?"

Fenrix nodded and decided to show Naruto some information that could help him understand the lesson better.

"There are five key elemental forces in the world, as you already know, Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Lightning, each has unique properties that separate one from the others. However, they are still energy and through the use of all five elemental energies, one can heal any injury no matter how grievous, it can also restore youth and vitality if used in the right matter, or even bring a person back to life."

The mention of bringing a dead person back to life was more than enough to get Naruto's attention.

"What?! How?!"

Fenrix knew that would get Naruto's attention right off the bat and he explained carefully to the young man.

"You can divide the human form into the five elements in a shorter term. The body, bones, organs, and flesh can considered as the human form of Earth, the blood, and life fluids can be tied to the human form of Water, the energy that provides the spark of life or the energy of life and movement can be seen as the human version of Lightning, the breath needed to sustain the body can be tied to Air, and lastly the spirit and soul of humans can be attributed to the power of Fire. The Elemental Life Force Technique is transforming all five elemental energies or in this case, chakra and create a pure form of life energy."

"I-I-It can bring then a person back to life?! Can I use it to bring the Old Man back?!"

Fenrix had a feeling Naruto would ask that question and replied.

"In truth, yes, however, the technique used by Sarutobi was summoning and sacrificing his soul to the God of Death and even Dragon Ascendants cannot challenge the God of Death in his own realm. Because Sarutobi used his soul as the bargaining chip, there is nothing this technique can do to bring him back to life due to the pact made to the God of Death."

Naruto was not very happy with the news and Fenrix could see that fact on his student's face and he spoke.

"However, if the person has not made a pact with the God of Death, then they can be brought back to life as their spirits will linger in the boundary world between that of the living and that of the dead and until they are allowed into the realm of the dead, they are not gone, and by using this technique, they can indeed be brought back to life. I will show you what I mean in a moment."

Fenrix then stood up and began to use a spell and there before Naruto appeared a table with a sheath and then Fenrix removed the sheath….to reveal a certain female ninja who died.

"Wait a minute! I recognize her as one of the Sound Genin, what is she doing here?!"

"She was used as a sacrifice by Orochimaru for a powerful jutsu to bring one of the former Hokage back to life to fight Sarutobi. Orochimaru used her like a pawn and this was the result, by all rights she should be dead, but I doubt that, while she had physically died, her spirit still lingers and has not passed the judgment on whether she is to be sent in the dark pits or to the divine planes. She currently is a ghost, so to speak though she has not gathered the needed power to manifest here in the realm of the living."

Naruto was still surprised to be seeing the dead body of Kin, the Sound Kunoichi who he had met long ago in the class room where the first half of the Chuunin Exams had taken place, she seemed to have been cleaned up and appeared to be very much normal, except for the grey skin tone. He then turned to Fenrix and wondered what he was going to do.

He didn't have to wait long as Fenrix allowed his tattoos to appear and they all glowed and then before the younger Dragon Ascendant's eyes the senior Ascendant began to summon five spheres of energy, one was deep red like a ruby and then it burst into fire, the next globe was as blue as water and seemed to had droplets of water flowing all around it, another sphere was as brown as the earth, mixed with a healthy green and there were clumps of soil flowing around the sphere, another was deep yellow and had arcs of energy racing on the surface, Fenrix then focused his powers and then the five sphere began to turn into a deep white glow and became glowing spheres of energy and then they all merged into one glowing mass that nearly blinded Naruto, there was so much energy in that sphere that he was amazed his sensei could even control it all. Fenrix then moved the sphere to Kin's body and then pushed into the lifeless corpse of the Sound Kunoichi.

Naruto watched in amazement as the once grey skin of the corpse began to take a healthy pink shade, and it seemed that the life came back to all of her body and to his still present amazement, the formerly dead female ninja from Sound opened her eyes. As Fenrix completely imbued the sphere into her body, he stepped back and it was not long before Kin began to speak.

"W-W-What….where….?"

Kin tried to get up and she felt a rising panic as instead of being below a sky, she was looking at a roof of stone and she felt as if something had just rushed into her, she tried to move her hands and felt them move to her astonishment, she slowly got up to sit and look about, seeing the walls of the fortress mansion under Naruto's ownership and then spotted both Naruto and Fenrix, she began to panic a bit and tried to reach for her weapons but Fenrix spoke to her at that instant.

"It would be best that you calm yourself Kin Tsuchi, you have just been resurrected from the land of the dead."

"What?!"

The Sound Kunoichi was naturally confused by this as Fenrix expected as Naruto looked on in awe as he hoped to learn just how did his sensei do that. Fenrix managed to learn the details from the ANBU Captain on how Kin had been sacrificed when they found her body and he was angered that there was someone like Orochimaru willing to do such things in this world, the rogue Ascendants who used their powers for darker purposes were worse of course, but this was still very much something that arose his ire.

"You were betrayed by your Master Orochimaru and used as a sacrifice to bring to life one of the former Hokage of Konoha who had died, in effect you were used as a pawn by Orochimaru and left to die, do you remember anything now.

The memories came flooding back into her mind at that exact moment as she recalled the time she and Zaku had been brought into the chamber with the bodies of the Hokages being there and then they were hit by the Jutsu that Orochimaru had prepared to use and then all they recalled was blinding pain that burned through them and then everlasting darkness. As she thought back on the feelings of being dead, Kin shuddered and felt as if she was going to throw up, she had hoped to be of some help to her Master in conquering Konoha and also be able to return home and boast about her accomplishments, instead she was killed by her own master and left to rot.

"That is not the only time however, your master had also used a Cursed Seal on Sasuke before you and your team had come to face him in combat, he wanted to see Sasuke in action witht hat seal and you were going to die fighting him. You were knocked unconscious and therefore was not aware of this but that is the truth."

Kin sat down and began to digest all she had been told and then she looked at both Naruto and Fenrix and spoke.

"What are you going to do to me now?"

Fenrix then spoke.

"You have been given a new life Kin Tsuchi of Sound Village, and for once, you are free to decide your fate and your decisions are your own. You may decide to return to Sound if that is your desire, if not then you are free to leave this place and I will guide you out of Konoha under my protection."

Kin looked at her hands and thought back on what had happened to her after she had been duped by her former master Orochimaru, she thought that her life meant something, but she had been used by Orochimaru and killed without any form of mercy, even though the life she had in Sound was hard, she had hoped to be able to live long enough to see many things, Orochimaru took that away from her without any hesitation as she was nothing but a pawn to him.

But now….she had been given back her life by this man and she was given freedom to decide for herself, what her fate would be in the future, something that she had never thought about or taken seriously, until now. She felt her heart beat, her lungs take in air, and her mind think and more, she smelled the air, listened to all sounds, and even looked intently at everything.

She thought long over this and as soon as she was finished with her thoughts, she then decided to give her decision on what she was going to do from here on out, she was not going back to Sound any time soon, she was already considered dead by everyone there to begin with, there was nothing and no one waiting back there for her and she was not in the mood to see Orochimaru again or anyone in Sound for that matter.

"I want to stay…."

"Here in Konoha?"

"Not in Konoha….here….in this place."

Fenrix thought it over and then saw that Kin was serious in her desire to remain here in this fortress mansion and then he spoke.

"Then you have made your own decision, you should know that this place is the home of the new Clan of Konoha known as the Uzumaki Clan and therefore you can choose to be adopted or to be married into it and be accepted and be under it's protection."

Kin then blushed at that idea and then she asked something important, at least to her mind and thought.

"I prefer to be adopted for now. Marriage isn't on my mind at the moment."

Fenrix nodded and turned to Naruto.

"Kin has asked to be adopted into your Clan Naruto, as head of the Clan it is your decision to allow her to be adopted into your Clan."

Naruto had to admit that this was a very new and serious situation, he knew that now as head of his own clan he had the power and authority to accept or reject Kin into his clan and therefore leave her to the mercies of the village of Konoha, there was no doubt in his mind that as soon as she was discovered, she would be arrested or worse by Konoha, besides, it seemed that Kin sounded sincere about her desire never to go back to Sound and he decided to give her a chance.

"I accept."

Fenrix smiled and Kin felt a feeling of relief at Naruto's decision.

As soon as that was done, Fenrix began to teach Naruto several other skills in Elemental Manipulation while Kin watched and she watched as Naruto began to learn the Elemental Life Force Technique, though he used his own variation of the move, normally cynics would say that kin would no doubt escape and return to Sound and report to Orochimaru all she had seen, and there was truth in that belief, if Orochimaru found out about Naruto's new found powers and his potential, then he would seek out Naruto as well as Sasuke, with the power of a Dragon Ascendant and the Sharingan, Orochimaru would unstoppable, but Kin was not going to do so, they had given her back her life and she was not going to betray that trust.

In the training Fenrix then taught Naruto another powerful yet rarely used technique, and that was the Body Recreation and Resurrection Technique, this was following the same principles as that of the Elemental Life Force technique, but instead of breathing life back into a recently deceased person, this required the Ascendant to use the five elements to actually create a living body and then imbuing it with a living soul to make it come to life. Essentially it was somewhat similar to the Impure World Resurrection Techniques used by Orochimaru, but it was different as it required no sacrifice in terms of using a living person to form the body of the soul now does it need ash and dirt to form the original body of the soul and required no seal to restire the appearance of the deceased, instead it created a purely new body for the soul to inhabit and then mold into the same likeness the soul had in life in it's original body. And in effect the body is not a fake but an exact living and breathing person complete with all the powers and memories of their past lives, however, in order to be more effective Naruto had to travel into the spirit realm and petition a being known as the Watcher to allow a soul to be returned to the realm of the living and then Naruto would need to fuse the soul into the newly created body. The newly resurrected person is also subject to a second death as they are not immortal though they will have a slightly longer life span than most mortal living beings.

Another weakness is that in order to do both the creation of the body itself from the elements and then entering the realm of the dead as well as petitioning for the return of the soul, Naruto must have his powers at a certain level of maturity, he could achieve it in his current level, but it would require a greater deal of power and the only way he could possibly overcome that limit is to remove his restraining bracers while in the realm of the dead, but Fenrix warned him not to attempt it without a good enough reason, for doing so would severely weaken him and it would take months or even years to fully recover, this technique is only done by much more skilled and experienced Ascendants but even so they would be severely drained. Only Dragons or Dragon Kings could do it without any strain.

And the final weakness was the petitioning of the soul's return to the realm of the living from the Watcher, the longer the soul has remained in the spirit realm either in heaven or in hell depending on their nature, then the more demanding the technique will be to accomplish. Fenrix warned Naruto of this as well and Naruto vowed to use it only as a last resort or when the situation really called for it.

As soon as the training was over, they were having their meal break when they were greeted by Jiraiya, who had used the special stone that Fenrix had made; the fortress was imbued with a special locking mechanism that would keep others out if they didn't have a special stone that acted as a recognition and opening device. He had given one to Jiraiya and planed to make a few more for the rest of the people he would allow to be in the fortress.

As Naruto was greeted by Jiraiya, he filled them in on why he was there, apparently he had been given the task to go and look for Tsunade, one of the three Sannin and ask her to take the place of Hokage here in the village, he had been originally given the position but he turned it down saying that he was not really the kind of guy to be in the position of Hokage, plus he admitted that he was not really the kind of guy to be tied down that much.

Naruto had a feeling that Jiraiya was more interested in being the Perverted Old man that he was and wondered why he was telling him this of all things. It was then that Jiraiya had told him that he was supposed to be escorted in the mission by a number of Jonin by the Council but he turned them down and decided to take him along.

Needless to say, Naruto was far from interested in the idea and it was only with the offering to learn another useful jutsu that could give him a much needed combat edge when his Dragon Ascendant powers could not be used that finally convinced Naruto to get ready and join along.

Jiraiya then said he would wait at the gate for him once he got his gear and supplies ready and Naruto went to work gathering all that he could as he was told by Fenrix to meet him in the Creation Hall before he left with Jiraiya, Fenrix also asked Kin accompany him to the Creation Hall in order for her to learn how to earn her keep in the new home that she had to live it, it would be far more preferable if Kin was able to learn a trade in order to help with the maintenance of the fortress and he would teach her how to be a good and productive member of the Clan that she was now adopted into.

As soon as they were in the Creation Hall, Kin was awed by what she was seeing and quickly realized that she could learn much from this place while she was here, and Fenrix gave her some warm food to eat to help her build her strength and energy as she had been brought back to life and therefore needed to sustain her food like a normal person.

Fenrix was a master forger and what would have taken weeks to months or even years, he could do in hours. It was then that Naruto showed up and he was all ready packed and ready to move out on the mission with Jiraiya.

--------

In the Creation Hall…

Naruto held the weapon in his hands and marveled at this weapon, it was a long handle and on the ends were two double edged blades at the length of at least three feet each and was made from specially enchanted and high quality steel, the two blades were well made and balanced and following the instructions of his Dragon Ascendant sensei, the blades quickly retracted into the handle and he looked at the seemingly bladeless weapon and pressed it again and the blades came back out.

"Like your present?"

"Yes!"

"Good, this weapon emphasizes the lesson that I will teach you once you return from looking for this Tsunade who shall be the new Hokage."

"What do you mean?"

"This twin bladed weapon symbolizes the need for control. When you attempt to use two Elements, you must learn to work their natures into a cohesive combination without one overwhelming the other, if there is no control, then the elements will clash and disrupt one another, and your ability as a fighter in combat will naturally suffer as a result. To drive the point home to you…those two blades were specially made be able to injure you."

"What?!"

Naruto was shocked to hear that and Fenrix replied.

"It will not kill you of course, but send light pain through your body while not cutting you, when you train with this weapon, you must use it as a staff weapon and that is where control must be learned Naruto, as you must be able to defend and strike with enough power and control. If you attack with two much power, then the other blade will injure you, and you lose control. Once you master both control and power, you can attack and defend in equal measure, and then you can learn to use two elements in unison. That is what this weapon will show you."

Naruto began to understand the idea, though not entirely at the moment as he took the weapon and he asked Fenrix the question that had been plaguing him ever since he got the weapon.

"Aren't you coming with me Fenrix-sensei?"

Fenrix shook his head and explained his reasons.

"You are a Clan head now and as your advisor as well as your teacher and guardian, I have to remain here to defend your land, home and name, you have matured enough to merit going out on your own and learning on your own for a while, and Jiraiya has asked me to allow him to train you in a special jutsu that you might find useful in the near future."

"As much as you need to learn the ways of the Ascendants to master your powers, you must also learn the ways of ninjas as you should before your powers awakened. Your defeat of Gaara when you two fought has proven to me than you can handle yourself for now until you return and require more instruction from me, there is only so much you can learn from these walls of the Training Hall after all, true knowledge and wisdom are gained as well as given."

"Besides, all the training and lessons I give you will not be effective if you are not using them in the real world for it is in the real world where your training, knowledge and experience can be put to the test."

Fenrix then took out a small gemstone necklace and handed it to his student and as Naruto looked at the necklace, he spotted that Fenrix wore the very same necklace of his neck..

"However, I will not be far, this is a Recall Stone and if you are in need of my help or are in true danger, then this Recall Stone will cast a teleportation spell and I will be there to aid you in whatever you need done. I have faith in you and your growth as both an Ascendant and Ninja Naruto and that is why you will do well here."

Naruto smiled and bowed to Fenrix.

"I will not disappoint you or everyone in Konoha; I will bring Tsunade back to be our new Hokage."

Fenrix nodded and bowed back to Naruto.

As soon as that was over, Naruto walked out of the hall and was met by Jiraiya himself who was smiling at him and the two headed off to find Tsunade, who Fenrix was already familiar with due to the fact that he had been informed on just who Tsunade was by chatting with both Jiraiya and Hiruzen. As Naruto gathered his supplies and money, he moved out and left his fortress home and headed off to the gates of Konoha where Jiraiya was already waiting for him.

As the two left Naruto hoped to head back home soon after learning this new jutsu Jiraiya promised and also being able to help in rebuilding his home of Konoha as well as building his clan, though he had no idea just how he was going to find a wife in order to get his clan started out.

--------

Little did Naruto realize that as soon as he got home, things were going to get VERY interesting for him as only half a day after he leaves…

--------

In the Hyuuga estate…

Hiashi had thought over his decision concerning the fact that there was a new clan, led by none other than the one commanded by Naruto Uzumaki. The elder of head of the Hyuuga family knew that his decision would change the future of the Hyuuga clan, and also someone close to him, the fact that this was by far the best way for his clan to grow, while Naruto's clan was new, it held a great deal of power and ability. It was something that no one could afford to ignore, let alone him. Naruto's clan was only starting out, but the power and ability that Naruto displayed in combat both in the Chuunin Exams and in the battle with the combined forces of Suna and Oto told him that if given time, the clan could rise to great stature.

And as clan head of the Hyuuga, there was a lot for him and the clan to gain, both in terms of alliance, and in terms of strength. Of course Hiashi also thought of other things as well that involved his decision concerning his eldest daughter…

"You sent for me father?"

Hiashi turned and saw his daughter Hinata who was there before him in perfect health. While he acted coldly towards her and had all but kicked her out, there was reason for his actions. He knew Hinata had the talent and skill to be a great ninja and user of the Byakugan despite what others including Neji might believe, the flaw was that Hinata lacked two things, confidence in herself and her abilities, and the desire to succeed and improve, things that Hiashi knew were very important for a leader of a clan.

That was why he pushed Hinata away, not because she was worthless, but she didn't fight for her true worth and make herself stronger, yes she trained herself harder, but without the will to succeed and fight for herself and her comrades and to accomplish the mission to the best of her abilities, it would all be for nothing. Hinata had fought with Neji who had been easily beaten by Naruto with his Kekkai Genkai and he knew how much of an influence Naruto had on Hinata. While he didn't interfere with her life, Hiashi did keep tabs on his daughter to see if she had gathered the courage to stand for herself, it was when she was supported by Naruto that she began to grow stronger in her abilities and her confidence, signs that while it was still early, there was a chance that Hinata would be finally able to push herself to be better. And now it was time to surprise her.

"Yes, we have some other guests coming so I would like you to remain here for a while."

Hinata nodded and then in arrived Kurenai, Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino as well as Neji and Hanabi…as everyone gathered and sat before him, Hiashi thought through his plans and decided to speak.

"Hinata, you will need to be ready to leave your team for the time being."

"Father?"

Hinata was surprised and so were the others, including Kiba and Akamaru, Kurenai was very curious about all this and wondered just what was Hiashi planning, while he was Hinata's father, she was Hinata's adopted mother after her real mother died and while she knew that she had no authority here, she did have the right to speak.

"Hiashi-sensei, I would like to know the reason as to why Hinata must leave the team?"

Hiashi looked at Kurenai and replied.

"There is a reason for it, Hinata will have to get ready to be married."

Hinata gasped.

"M-M-Married?!"

"Yes, as heiress to the Clan, you have to be ready to be married to a prominent member of society to continue the Hyuuga Clan, which is why you will need to leave your team for the time being so you can meet your soon to be husband and he will be able to meet you as well. This will take effect tomorrow and when it does, you will need to leave your team."

Hinata tried her best not to cry, she had hoped to continue becoming a ninja for her team and impress Naruto and maybe tell him her feelings of love towards him. But now it seemed that she was going to be denied this chance for the rest of her life…being married to another hurt her like a kunai to the leg but she knew as heiress of the Hyuuga Clan she had to do her duty.

Kurenai could tell that Hinata was trying her best not to cry and as much as she wanted to comfort Hinata and help her, there was no chance of doing so, she was not of the Clan and this was not her business after all, Hiashi was head of the clan and he had final say.

The same could be said for Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino, the two ninja were not liking this situation a great deal but they knew they could do nothing at the moment.

Hiashi was perceptive of his daughter's state and knew that now was the time to speak when she spoke her turn as well. Hanabi was also very curious what was going to happen now at this point. And the same could be said for Neji as he was curious as to why he was involved in this situation at the moment.

Hinata gathered her courage and spoke.

"Who is it that I am marrying Father? I wish to know who he is at least."

Hiashi smiled and that was enough to surprise everyone in the room and he replied.

"You know him very well Hinata, in fact, he was then one who inspired you to train harder and even inspired you to fight Neji as well. And I know for a fact that you've had a deep admiration and affection for him when you first met him."

It only took a second for the group to get the message on who Hinata was marrying and the Hyuuga heiress began to blush wildly and it took a moment or two for her to finally find the words that she had thought.

"I…I…I'm going to…m-m-marry Naruto-kun?"

Hiashi nodded and spoke.

"Yes, however, it is entirely up to both Naruto and Fenrix himself, as the senior warrior is Naruto's advisor and retainer as well as teacher in the use of his Kekkai Genkai and personal body guard and as I have stated as Naruto is head of his clan, he decides. I have already sent a request to meet him in order to ask that he and Naruto consider you as his wife in leading the clan that he is now the head of, so do your best to prove that you can be part of his clan, and I have no doubts you will do well Hinata."

Hinata felt like she was going to faint dead away, of all the things she had expected to happen, this was not one of them, but she dared not faint in front of her father and her sister, it was embarrassing enough already.

Hiashi could tell from the blush on his daughter's face that she was in heaven, and despite his stern and focused demeanor, he couldn't help but show a slight smile and then spoke.

"Hinata, I would like to point out that since Naruto is the head of the clan and is very much a desirable person now in terms of the marriage market, you may have to contend with the fact that you will not be the only one seeking to be his wife and as you are aware that since he is allowed to have more than one wife to build his clan's numbers, you may have to be a co-wife if it comes to that. Do you understand me Hinata?"

Hinata, still blushing bright red nodded and then as the meeting was over, Hinata and the others were left in the house as Hiashi had to go and make some arrangements. As soon as her father was out of sight…

"I-I-I'm going to marry…N-N-Naruto-kun…."

Hinata fainted…

Kurenai knew that from here on out, she would have to work hard in helping Hinata deal with the fact that she was about to have her dream come true, she was doing to be married to Naruto, she couldn't help but feel happy for Hinata. The Jonin decided to do her best in order make sure that Hinata was ready in dealing with being with the fact that she was going to be married to her long time crush.

Neji had a feeling that the news of her being able to marry Naruto with her father's approval was sending his cousin to heaven. He was actually very curious how this would play out, but he would have a few words with Naruto concerning Hinata.

Kiba couldn't help but feel very curious how this would turn out, Hinata always blushes to the point of being able to match the color of a tomato when Naruto was around and when he would speak to her on occasion. He always enjoyed teasing her and now he was going to have a field day with this.

And Shino, the youngest member of the Aburame Clan couldn't help but look at Hinata's fainted form with some level of interest, he had always been a good supporter of Hinata and the fact that Hinata was getting her greatest wish right now, he was curious as to how Hinata would feel as soon as she and Naruto tied the knot.

As for Hinata…she was currently a field day in her mind on picturing how things were going to go as soon as she and Naruto were married and when they were alone…she couldn't help but feel even more joy in her heart, her greatest dreams and deepest fantasies were coming true!!!

--------

In the Inuzuka household…

Tsume was busy checking on the injuries of their dog summons as well as busy reading the reports of the recovery of the village, while she had no patience with such politics and reports, she was a Jonin and head of the Inuzuka clan and had to be up to date with the latest happening within the village and the results of the battle. It had galled the matriarch of the Inuzuka Clan had attacked the village, but with the peace treaty reaffirmed, there was a chance to catch their breath.

As she read the reports handed to the other Jonin she read the report on Naruto Uzumaki's performance in battle. She had to admit that the boy's abilities had proven impressive and was a great sign that with more training, the boy could very well be a powerful asset to the village. She smiled at that and decided to take a good look on how things were for the rest of her family. Kiba was back and training with Akamaru while Hana was back to work in the veterinarian clinic and they were working hard at the moment though Kiba was currently with his team as they had been called to the Hyuuga estate.

As she finished her reading on the reports and seeing that her summon was healed, she thought over on something important. She knew that since Naruto was head of a new clan and a clan with exceptional power and ability at that. She was aware of the fact that sooner or later, Naruto would need a mate to rule the clan with him. Tsume had a feeling that things would be very interesting in the village in a matter of weeks and decided to see if marrying into the clan that Naruto ruled would be possible. She knew already of who could be the one to handle that part.

Her daughter Hana, Hana was by far a skilled member of their clan and also not as fierce as compared to her or Kiba, something that was surprising by many other people's standards, considering herself and Kiba. Tsume might be a fierce and strong fighter, tough and unyielding as well, but she cared deeply for her family and the one thing she wanted for both Hana and Kiba was that they would be able to be happy and keep the clan safe. Hana would be a good candidate to join Naruto's clan, but she knew it would not be easy, she would have to speak to her daughter about the matter and see if she agrees with the idea, and no doubt Kiba needed to be informed of the decision as well. Tsume knew that forcing her daughter to marry was an option but she was not that kind of person, she cared deeply for her family and forcing them was only as a last resort option, Hana might be gentler compared to her and Kiba, but she was as fierce as well and needed to be told properly what her options were. It was up to Naruto to say yes or no after all, as head of his clan, he had final say on the matter.

Kiba and Naruto, as far as she knew were almost the same, they were loud, passionate, and very confident of each other's abilities, the way the two would act if they were brothers in law was going to be something that was going to make her laugh. It was then that she heard the arrival of Kiba, Akamaru, and Hana as well as Hana's Nin dogs.

"Mom! We're home!"

As Kiba arrived and got off his jacket and placed it aside and Hana went to the kitchen to make some food for them to eat, Tsume nodded and gave both her son and daughter a smile. It did her heart good that her family was still together, though she had no husband to help raise her children.

Tsume was young when she was with her lover and when he left….no doubt being unable to handle her aggressiveness, which was not limited to the battlefield of course. It was hard to raise both Hana and Kiba when he was born, but being a tough woman on and off the battle field, Tsume did her best and both her children didn't disappoint her, though Kiba did at first. Her son however grew to be a good ninja and Akamaru, and Hana was no slouch either as she had proven in the battle with both Sound and Sand..

As the diner was finished, she decided to bring the subject to the table after asking how Hinata was doing.

"So Kiba, what's been happening with Hinata recently?"

Kiba sighed as he ate the meat stew that his sister made, his sister was not that much of a cook in some respects, but she got by fine in his mind and wondered when she would get hitched, in some respects she would do well with a boy friend though he never said that out loudly. Hana was a good enough cook and was gentler than their mom, though her ability on matters that were not in the battle field or in veterinary medicine wasn't really that good either….yet another thing he would never say out loud, especially in front of her.

"She has to leave our team for a while; her father's asking her to get married."

"Really?"

Both Hana and Tsume were surprised by this revelation, Hinata would sometimes visit their home, bringing a treat for the Nin dogs and for Akamaru as well, something that the Inuzuka women found very nice and they were very friendly with Hinata, and not just because she was the heiress to the Hyuuga Clan.

"Yeah….the funny thing is, Hinata's going to love it."

Kiba chuckled at the memories and that surprised both Tsume and Hana and he replied.

"You know about Naruto being the head of his own Clan? Well it seemed that Hiashi-sama suggested that Hinata should marry him to make their clan aligned with Naruto's own clan and become stronger, at first Hinata thought that she was going to marry someone else, but when she found out about the fact that she was going to marry Naruto, she blushed an even deeper shade of red than before. After her dad left, she fainted, me and Shino had a heck of a time waking her up, and she was still happy to the core.

Hana smiled at that, she too was aware of Hinata's deep affections for Naruto and to know that she was getting married to her long time crush was something that must have really made her happy.

"That's good news, Hinata must be really happy with the news."

"I see….well then, I have some news of my own as well….and what you just told me will make this a lot easier to say, I just hope you two are ready for this."

Both Hana and Kiba were curious as to what was it that their mother was going to tell them and then Tsume spoke.

"Hana, I was thinking about how come you have not found a boy friend yet."

Hana blushed at that and spoke to her mother.

"I….well, I haven't gotten that far yet."

"I noticed, and frankly I am very curious about that and somewhat worried."

"Why?"

Tsume decided to be both serious and humorous at the same time; this was too good a chance to miss for some laughs.

"For one thing, you are certainly an attractive sort and it surprises me no male comes here to talk about asking you out or ask my permission, and as a mother that worries me, are you by any chance not intimately interested in men?"

Hana blushed bright red as she was quick to understand the hidden meaning of the question. Kiba was wondering what that meant as he was not that sure what his mom was referring to.

"Mother! I don't think of other women like that! I do like men, it's just finding the right one that is the problem, there aren't that many prospects and I have so many duties in the clinic to have the time to look for a boy friend."

Kiba then spoke.

"Besides that mom, they would have to be able to be seen as a good guy, and I for one am not going to let some idiot be the one who's going to be my sister's other half."

Akamaru barked in agreement with Kiba and that served to amuse Hana as well as Tsume.

"Thanks little brother, but still, I want to know why you are so curious mom?"

"I'm your mother Hana, I at least deserve to know how your life is and one thing I want apart from seeing you two as strong members of our family is for you two to be happy, Hana, you're already in the age to be out with a young man, I'm really curious on how it would be when you find a man worthy of your time."

Hana wondered what brought this on in her mother and it was enough for Tsume to finally drop the bomb on the two children she had. She had been able to figure that allowing the Inuzuka Clan to grow stronger through alliances. Besides, this could actually work out in the long run as she knew that despite her slight lack of domestic skills, Hana could learn well enough on her own.

"I recently decided to think about the news that Naruto Uzumaki is head of his own clan, and I had gotten into thinking about that."

This got the attention of Hana and Kiba as Tsume then spoke seriously.

"I plan to send forward Hana's name to the Council of Konoha to allow her to try and marry into Naruto's clan, of course it will not be easy, and it would seem that Hana will have to compete with Hinata in order to be allowed the chance to marry Naruto and be part of the new clan growing here in Konoha. "

Kiba looked at his mother with wide eyes and he looked like he had just been sucker punched while Hana was flabbergasted at the news that she had just been given at this moment by her own mother, however she was not going to be silent for long as she spoke.

"Mother! You can't be serious about this!!! Naruto is supposed to be the same age as Kiba!!! I'm too old to be married to someone as young as him Mother….it's…not right!"

"I know, but from what I learned, he is a lot different than when he was still a kid, I can bet you would have a lot of fun with him, besides, from what I've heard from the others, he is already going to become prime material, besides, he's certainly not looking like a young kid anymore."

"But…"

"Now Hana, that is my decision, though that is up to Naruto and his guardian Fenrix if they will allow it."

Kiba's reaction to the news that his sister was going to be married to Naruto was fairly straight forward…since he did exactly the same thing Hinata had done previously.

He fainted…

Akamaru tried to bring his master out of his unconscious state, the puppy knowing full well that his master was going to blow a gasket when he woke up.

Hana on the other hand was still blushing like mad, trying to figure out what had prompted her mother to suggest that she get married of all things….as for Tsume, she was laughing, she never had this much fun in years!

--------

In the Village of Sand…

The interim Village Council of Suna was busy recalling the need to be able to repair their alliance with Konoha after the fighting between their forces. Though Konoha had been weakened, the Council knew that they were at a disadvantage with the fact that the people of their village had not only suffered major losses, but had been duped by Orochimaru and their leader was dead, as it stood, they had to do their best to mend their alliance with Konoha to avoid a possible war, while they did have good ninja, they didn't have the numbers advantage that the forces of Konoha had over them.

"We have to make some needed preparations on how to make sure that we given enough proof to Konoha to prove our sincerity in fixing our alliance with them."

One Council member then spoke.

"I still find it hard to believe that they had beaten us, exactly what went wrong?"

"You still wanted the plan made by that back stabbing Orochimaru to succeed, knowing full well that he had tricked us into attacking our allies?"

"Of course not….it just does not make any sense to me how someone of Gaara's abilities….and unique power was defeated in the battle. Was there any sign of how he was defeated?"

As the reports were handed to them, they could tell that Orochimaru had really fooled them that Konoha was weak and complacent, true they had surprised Konoha, but they were quickly beaten back in full force and then they reached the report that highlighted the defeat of Gaara.

"It seems that Gaara was defeated by one named Naruto Uzumaki."

"He defeated Gaara?"

"Yes, Temari was there to witness the battle and she said that Naruto was able to use all five elemental chakras to fight Gaara. Apparently he was able to change elemental affinities with ease, allowing him to adapt to the foe he is fighting."

"Are you saying that this Naruto Uzumaki was able to use all FIVE elemental chakras and could use them in any order he wishes?! That is impossible!!"

"Baki' report said otherwise, in his battle with on Hyuuga Neji of the Hyuuga Clan, this Naruto was able to switch elemental chakras with shocking ease and unleash all the elements. He was even able to use Kage Bushin create a force of various elemental chakra wielding Kage Bushin to deadly effect, he used that same style of attack on Gaara….only with over twenty five Kage Bushin in combat. And with each having a different elemental chakra type that he unleashed, Gaara was nearly killed by this lone ninja. He was even able to unleash a thousand Kage Bushin in combat with Gaara though they were not able to use the elements"

"One thousand Kage Bushin?! No ninja could produce that many Kage Bushin!!! That is just impossible!!!"

"No, Temari herself saw this event when she was there watching the fight. This Naruto Uzumaki soundly defeated Gaara and nearly killed Gaara in combat, something all of us never thought was possible."

That was true, ever since Gaara wielded the Shukaku in battle, no one in Suna thought anyone could defeat the young ninja of theirs, but that was proven false, not only was Gaara soundly defeated, but he was nearly slain, something that was considered impossible by all in the Council.

"How much do we know of this Naruto Uzumaki?"

One of the Council took out a much needed file from a folder and there was Naruto's recent data and the previous data from before when he had taken the Chuunin Exams in the first half. They also had all the data that they had concerning his abilities during the Chuunin exams as well as before and after he became a Genin.

"Naruto Uzumaki was born an orphan, had been isolated and raised under the watch of the late Hokage, there are no records of his parents, he is shown to have not very good scores in the Academy and apparently had failed the Graduation exams of the Konoha Academy at least three times. However he was rumored to have mastered an A-Rank Jutsu which is the Kage Bushin No Jutsu and was allowed to graduate as a Genin from the Academy. His Team mates are Sakura Haruno and the last of the surviving Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha and their Jonin sensei is none other than the Copycat Ninja of Konoha, Kakashi Hatake. He is rumored to be the worst student that the Konoha Academy had and even is considered be something a class clown. However, he is looked upon favorably by the former Third Hokage before his death along with several other ninja."

"Class Clown and the worst student?! He mastered an A-Rank Jutsu before he was given the rank of Genin, and the fact is that as far as I am aware, no Genin has been able to accomplish that yet, even Gaara and his siblings have never mastered a Jutsu like that before! Doesn't that state that there is more to this young man than what is stated?"

"What are you suggesting?"

"Obviously they had been keeping this young man a secret from all of us. Think about it, why reveal that you have a boy in your village with such a powerful Kekkai Genkai as his? Unless you reveal it during a special event such as the Chuunin Exams to show their strength and the fact that they had this ace in the hole with them, they must have forged his Academy records to make seem like he was weak and ordinary, but then the time came for him to unleash his true power, he did so in the Chuunin Exams and then in the battle between his village and with both us and Sound. If these are to be of any indication….he could very well become the next Yellow Flash or even surpass the Yellow Flash!!!"

"Aren't you overreacting to this a bit?"

"I am not! If this Naruto could control all five elements and summon these many Kage Bushin and display enough to power to not only defeat Gaara but nearly kill him shows that he is no ordinary force to be reckoned with! The fact that he could be able to summon Toads is also a sign that we cannot ignore this, according to Temari's report of the battle, when Gaara transformed into the Shukaku, Naruto was able to summon the largest toad she had ever seen and the toad wore a jacket, a long dagger, and a pipe with a scar on the face as well as all over his body. I don't need to say who this toad is since we all know him, and to also throw more fuel in the fire, he had just gone with none other than the Sannin Jiraiya to look for Tsunade! And we know that Jiraiya had trained the Yellow Flash in his youth, and if he is going to train Naruto who has this Kekkai Genkai, then this Naruto could very well be a warrior who can crush anyone who is an enemy of Konoha. If he has that power now, imagine how he would be as a full grown adult ninja!!!!"

The others were silenced by this, they all knew the Fourth Hokage or Konoha's Yellow Flash, who was one of the most skilled, feared and respected shinobi to have ever stepped out of the village of Konoha, even among allied ninja villages, the name brought both fear and awe in the people who heard it. The thought of this boy becoming more powerful than the Yellow Flash was a very disturbing thought and if Konoha decided to attack them in retaliation for breaking the alliance, they wouldn't be able to defend themselves from the onslaught. If this boy could already summon Gamabunta of all things in a battle and Jiraiya was training him, then there was no telling how much of a powerhouse of a ninja they would be fighting against.

One elderly council member than spoke seriously to the rest of his fellow Council members.

"This is very disturbing news, to know that such a ninja like him exists now and is being groomed by both Jiraiya and Kakashi, this could spell the end for us all if Konoha went to war with us. We have to prove to them that we are willing to do whatever it takes to strengthen the alliance with them."

"You are right, we have already made restitutions to repair the damage our forces inflicted on their village, but what else can you suggest?"

"I know of one move than give us a chance and be helpful for all of us, I have recently learned that he is head of his own clan, but he is the first only of his clan and therefore, he would need a wife to rule his clan."

"Are you suggesting we send one of our own female ninja to be part of this clan of his?"

"Yes, it would be very beneficial for all of us, this can prove that we are sincere in maintaining our alliance with them and in turn with the marriage we can at least be assured that the bond between our villages is much stronger than before."

The Council had to admit that it was a fairly good idea, if one of their female ninja was married to Naruto Uzumaki, it would ensure that they would be under his protection and also ensure that the alliance between their village and Konoha would a be a lot stronger than before. It was finding a suitable candidate that would prove a problem as names of viable female ninja were being tested and a good number didn't exactly make the grade.

It was then however that Temari's name came up, and the second that happened, that started another round of discussion.

"We can't possibly hand over Temari, she is our strongest Genin here in the whole of the village, second to her brother Gaara, and she is the daughter of our late Kage."

"I know, but since she is the daughter of our Kage and is the eldest, she is a good candidate for this and they would accept our pledge to strengthen ties with them."

"What you are suggesting is a mistake! We need a peace treaty with Konoha, we cannot just hand them over one of our best ninja and let them have a powerful family of ninjas!"

"Listen and think this through, if they accept then they would know we are serious, and when that happens, the fact will remain that the clan would have family here in Suna, and that would make it hard for them to attack this village, and if they do have powerful ninja, which I have no doubt they will, the ninja could be Hokage and with the fact that they have ties with Suna, then we could rest easier knowing that the Uzumaki Clan will defend our village if it is in grave danger as they will see this as their own home as well."

The others had to admit that the reasoning was fairly solid in that regard.

--------

As for the blonde Kunoichi in question, she didn't exactly take the news lightly…

Temari was very much in a furious mood but despite her temper she didn't attack Baki who had delivered the news. She had just gotten back days after the battle with Konoha and now just when things were getting back in order after learning of their father's death by Orochimaru's hands, this news came up to bite her by the neck.

"I'm supposed to WHAT?!"

Baki knew that this was going to be a problem as despite Temari's desire for peace and her reluctance to fight Konoha, she was not someone to cross and while he was a Jonin, Temari was one of the strongest Genin in the village, seconded by Kankurou and surpassed by Gaara himself. At this moment, the Jonin wished he had better news as while he understood the direction and reason behind the decision of the Council, he would have hoped that it had been planned out a bit more instead of being rushed. But he had to deliver the news either way and while he understood that Temari was far from pleased with the news she knew that it was a valid option.

Out of the three Sand Siblings, Temari was the most intelligent and diplomatic minded of them all and that was saying something already as she was skilled in diplomacy as well as politics, more so as she was the daughter of the Kazekage. That made her a very viable part of the plan that the elders and Council Leaders had come up with.

"I believe you already have an idea as to why that is the case Temari."

The blonde was still unhappy with the news before her and she wanted to whack Baki on the head with her fan despite the fact that she knew doing so was not going to solve the situation, she had just gotten over the fact that she had seen the changes in her little brother and the fact that their father had been murdered and replaced by Orochimaru all this time, and now here she was, being offered to make an alliance permanent between Sand and Konoha. She however was not blind to the truth of things, even if they had somehow defeated Konoha; they would have been no doubt severely weakened by the fighting and would be easy pickings for the other ninja powers in the land. Despite the decrease of their missions, the ninja forces of Sand were not easy to defeat and they did have numbers on their side, though apparently Konoha was more fit and ready for combat than they thought, no doubt due to the faulty intelligence handed to them by Kabuto and Orochimaru. The other smaller ninja villages would try to expand borders and powers, while the others would destroy their rivals, either way it would end in another Great Shinobi war and she knew the level of carnage and suffering the last one had and shuddered at the thought of it happening.

It galled her to know this, that she was being used as the sacrificial lamb and she decided to speak.

"I know that, but why me?! Can't another Kunoichi be selected for this?!"

"Believe me Temari, it was not something the Council agreed on easily, I even argued with them that you are too valuable and more to be lost, but they insisted on the matter. Besides, being the daughter of our late Kazekage does add more weight and truth to the desire for peace between Sand and Konoha. If they send you to be the one for this alliance by marriage then the leaders of Konoha will know that we are serious about this alliance and this will prevent them from launching a counter attack on us for breaking the alliance."

Temari knew that there was truth to that, as the daughter of the former Kazekage she had considerable influence as well as prestige in the village of Sand. It still galled her that she was going to get married and at such a young age too. She was well aware of the idea of arranged political marriages and knew that there was a chance she was going to get dragged into one at some point in her life, she just never expected it to be now. She couldn't find fault in the logic of the elders but she had a chance to make things right for herself and her family, Gaara had changed and she saw a chance to be able to make themselves a real family after their mother and father were now dead. Despite her fear of Gaara she loved them as they were the only family she had left in the world, but if she didn't do this, then the war she feared might happen…

"If they hurt you, I'll make sure to make them pay."

Temari and Kankurou turned to their brother Gaara and it surprised her and Kankurou that Gaara would say such things as the guy would normally not care at all about things unless there was fighting involved. Temari turned to her little brother and spoke.

"Gaara, you really mean that?"

Gaara nodded and spoke with absolute seriousness.

"I mean it, if they hurt you then I will make them pay for it."

Temari could sense that Gaara was being very serious about his choice of words

As for Gaara the feeling of being held by his eldest sibling in a loving embrace was different, it was warm and soothing, quite different than most and he wondered if this warmth was really the kind of love that gave life meaning. He knew he had never been much of a sibling to either of them and he had a lot to make up for in this case now that he had his eyes opened.

As that was over, Temari had a feeling that she was going to be all right at the moment so there was no need for her to panic, at least not yet. As she gathered her composure she then directed her attention to Baki to find out a lot more details on when this marriage was supposed to happen.

Baki however replied that they were still going to have to wait for the answer of Konoha if they would allow the idea of a marriage by alliance to take place and Temari spoke that she only hoped that if she was actually going to go through the idea

Baki then replied as he was informed by the Council just who they had in mind for Temari to be married to, and he had to admit that the very second he was told who Temari was going to be married to, he was quite literally floored by the news, he would have understood it had it been one of the noble clan families in Konoha….but a newly formed clan and led by that person was unexpected.

"I think you've already met him Temari, in fact, you, Gaara, and Kankurou have already met him."

Temari and her siblings thought it over and then the blonde elder sibling asked the question.

"Is it one of the Chuunin exam participants?"

"Yes."

Temari thought it over and recalled the data she learned about the male members of Konoha's most promising clans, there was Neji Hyuuga of the Hyuuga Clan who she already met though not formally, there was also that lazy but undeniably talented and intelligent guy from the Nara Clan who was named Shikamaru, there was also Kiba Inuzuka from the Inuzuka Clan, Chouji Akamichi from the Akamichi Clan, and there was the last of the Uchiha Clan, the one named Sasuke and the one that wounded Gaara.

The first was not really the kind of guy she liked, he was good looking but seemed very stern and serious all the time, the second was not very appealing to her as she did find it hard to swallow the idea of having to marry a guy like him, the third choice was a bit much though he was wild and passionate in what he did, the next was not the least bit appealing as she was not planning to be as big as that guy was. And the last choice was not very appealing to her now, while the guy was handsome he was arrogant and had a one tracked mind and she found those traits unappealing despite how prestigious it might be to be part of the revival of the Uchiha clan.

"So who in particular am I supposed to marry anyway? Is it one man from the already established Konoha clan families that we know about in the records?"

Baki shook his head.

"The one that the Council is considering for you to be married to is head of a newly recognized clan in Konoha and you would recognize him well enough as he was the one who defeated and forgive me for saying this, nearly killed Gaara in combat. The one you're going to be married to in this alliance by marriage is Naruto Uzumaki."

As the blonde sister of Gaara and Kankurou heard that, she recalled the mammoth battle between her brother Gaara and Naruto, she had never seen that level of power before in one place and she recalled just how fiercely the battle had been between her brother and that blonde kid who she met in the beginning stages of the Chuunin Exams, she didn't think much at first, but after the semi finals she took notice of the changes and then the battle between Gaara and Naruto was something she never thought she would ever see in her life time.

Kankurou had no idea of the battle but only after what Temari had told him, and seeing the severely exhausted state of Gaara was proof that this blonde who they met had soundly beaten Gaara, it scared him to know that there was someone far more deadly than Gaara and now it seemed that if this marriage thing worked out, that same guy would become his brother in law. He also wondered how Gaara was going to take the news that their sister was going to be married to the very same guy who had nearly outright killed him in combat, something that no one here in the village thought was possible.

Gaara then spoke out of the blue as he already had his take on the matter.

"I approve of that."

Temari and Kankurou were surprised greatly by that, as they looked at their youngest sibling, Kankurou had thought that Gaara would be downright furious with the idea of being related to the guy who had fought with him and nearly killed him in combat. But he seemed utterly at peace with this whole thing. That in itself was unsettling to the middle sibling of Gaara and Temari, he was still trying to get used to this version of his youngest brother being calmer and a lot less blood thirsty, it was as if the battle with that blonde ninja had changed him inside and out as well. And the usual terror people felt around him seemed to have greatly diminished, despite not being into politics like his sister, Kankurou was able to understand that if Temari was married to someone as powerful as Naruto Uzumaki. But still, Gaara was all right with Temari being married to the guy who nearly killed him?! That made no sense in his mind as he looked on at Gaara.

This also made Temari very curious as well; she had never seen Gaara like this before, she was starting to like this version of her brother but this threw her in a bit of a loop, by all rights Gaara should have disapproved of the idea right off the bat, any brother would be furious at the idea of their sister being married to a guy who beat them, yet Gaara was not only angry, but approved of the whole thing.

"Gaara….are you sure you are all right with this?"

"Naruto Uzumaki is a good choice."

"But….he nearly killed you…"

"That is in the past…he's not a bad person Temari-neesan."

Temari was surprised by that and the fact that Gaara had just called her big sister. This made her wonder even more just what was going on here.

Baki had to admit that the changes in Gaara were going to take a lot of getting used to but it seemed that things were going to be all right, now all they had to worry about was how to deal with the results. However he also knew for a fact that Temari was not going to be alone and he coughed to get the three's attention

"Now before we start taking this further, there is something that you will have to be aware of. As Naruto is head of his own clan and it's only member at this point and time, he is allowed to take more than one wife to help the clan grow and there is no doubt in my mind that a number of families in Konoha itself will be expressing interest in marrying into his clan, even more so with the Kekkai Genkai he possesses. So there will be no doubt in my mind that there will be competition at first, so keep that in mind. For all we know, Temari might very well end up as a co-wife so we will have to wait and see how things develop."

Temari had to admit that this was getting to be something that she had no idea about, either way, this was going to something she was not going to be forgetting anytime soon. Kankurou was really having a hard time imagining the whole thing happening before him.

--------

In the Konoha Village Council Chambers…

Homura and Kohane, along with another handful of Council members looked at the incoming reports and several most of all as they discussed the formation of the new clan in Konoha, naturally named Uzumaki. They had read the report on Hiashi's decision to allow Hinata to marry into Naruto's clan, that was highly unexpected as the Hyuuga Clan were among the noble clans of the village, then in came the report that Tsume of the Inuzuka Clan was placing forward the name of her eldest child and only daughter Hana as another potential wife in Naruto's new clan, and just recently a message coming from Sand stated that they were wished a marriage alliance to strengthen their ties to Konoha and they were offering none other than Temari at that, and she was to be married to Naruto as a member of his clan.

Suffice to say this didn't always suit well with everyone in the room as some of the people there were not looking very favorably at Naruto and they had something of an axe to grind on him as well, however, they were faced with a very unique situation, they all had seen Naruto's powers in action during the Chuunin Exams as well as the invasion of both Sound and Sand and while they had to admit that they were impressed to some degree, they were not very happy with Naruto's sudden rise in status.

They looked over the current report on the decision of Sand to offer this marriage alliance carefully and then they directed their attention to Danzo, the elderly man with bandages looked at the report carefully, his keen mind trying to see any signs on the document to show that this was no trap.

After a few minutes, one of the elders spoke to Danzo.

"Is there anything that tells us that this is a lie?"

Danzo shook his head at that.

"None whatsoever, this is genuine."

Homura then sighed as he looked at the window and at a certain location in general, they knew that Jiraiya and Naruto had already left half a day before to locate Tsunade to ask her to take the place of Hokage after Sarutobi['s death, the elderly Council member and former teammate of Hiruzen knew that Jiraiya had a point, compared to him, Tsunade had the clout, intellect, and heritage to be Hokage of Konoha, however, he was not very happy with Tsunade's willful and defiant nature despite his respect for the great granddaughter of the First Hokage. However, times were tough and that was the best option for the time being, they needed a strong Hokage and Tsunade was as strong as they came. Of course there was no doubt that there would be friction between Tsunade and Danzo as soon as the time came.

"I guess we cannot dismiss this matter, if they are serious about this, we have to decide if we can accept it."

Kohane nodded at Homura's words and spoke out her own opinion.

"It's hard to believe that they are willing to let Temari be the one to seal this marriage alliance, from what the reports say on her, she is the strongest Genin they have, not to mention she is the daughter of their former Kage."

"That is understandable in most case, they wanted to prove how serious they were about this marriage alliance to fix ties between us and them. Besides, considering Temari's standing in the village of Sand it would make sense that she would be chosen, if they were going to send someone without the right kind of ability as well as standing in their village it would not look well on their part."

Another Council member named Kyosuke then replied.

"It still is hard to imagine her being married to that Uzumaki kid, and she is not the only one as well since Hiashi has placed forward his own daughter Hinata to try and be part of the new clan that Naruto is head of, not to mention that Tsume is also offering Hana to take a chance at being part of that same clan. It would be difficult if things get out of hand for this new clan, especially with him being the clan head."

Danzo however replied.

"We cannot interfere with that now, even if we wish we could as the law cannot be overwritten even if we could somehow convince Tsunade-hime to do just that, Naruto Uzumaki is now head of his own clan and therefore is able to do what he wishes as clan head. Besides, while some of you dislike him, I personally thought he would make a powerful asset to the village when he was properly trained into a weapon, especially with the Kyuubi under his command, but I was overruled at that point."

"However, we now have to consider that apart from the Kyuubi trapped in him, Naruto now has access to a powerful Kekkai Genkai and I have no doubt that when given time and training, he could very well become a deadly force in Konoha itself, this would make him a very valuable asset in his own right. Not to mention the children born from those marriages could very well become powerful ninja with great abilities, not mention amazing levels of chakra."

"So we're not only having a powerful weapon in Naruto Uzumaki, but a breeding machine to make super powered ninja? That's being barbaric Danzo."

Kyosuke said in slight disgust, he was no fan of the old practice of breeding ninja generations, such things were supposed to be outlawed in that case. However the results were undeniable as truly exceptional ninja were indeed born of the breeding programs, however despite his slight dislike for Naruto, he found the idea of the boy being reduced to making children appalling.

Danzo nodded at that and replied.

"Maybe, but that is a possible outcome of the events that led to this point, we are not going to force them to conceive children right now, we have to follow protocol on this matter. We cannot tell them to have many children right now, but it will be done gradually."

As the others considered it, the bandaged man thought over the situation, the children born from Naruto's clan could be quite powerful in combat and in jutsu, they would prove to be more than able to keep Konoha from being attacked, and with the right action, they would be powerful allies, the former ninja also thought over how he could be an influence on the children in the near future, there was no chance of doing things directly, but his years of ninja experience taught him that there were other ways in doing things.

However, he had a feeling that with Fenrix about it would not be as easy as some of his other missions in the past, fortunately he had resources at his disposal to help him in his plans for the future of the Uzumaki Clan as well as the children who would be born into the Clan.

--------

In Naruto's fortress home two days later…

Fenrix was currently in the outer courtyard of the lands that were under the ownership of Naruto at the moment when he was able to sense the approach of several ninja, the senior Dragon Ascendant had a feeling that something of great importance had just cropped up for this many people to coming in this direction at one time and to this place of all things.

He had been out to enjoy the sunlight as well as helping the newly reborn Kin get used to being alive once more as he and the reborn former Sound Kunoichi looked at the new arrivals. As soon as he recognized several of the Konoha elders as well as several other people, the senior Ascendant had a feeling that this was far from a social meeting.

The former Sound Kunoichi had no idea what was going on and she could only stare as the people came closer. She had a feeling that things were going to be very interesting today, she had accepted being a ward under Fenrix's care and compared to her fellow Genin and life back in Sound, being under Fenrix' wing was paradise and she was in good hands. She had no intention of going back to Sound and decided to make her life as the newest adopted member of Clan Uzumaki.

As the senior Ascendant looked at the people before him, he had a feeling that things were about to get rather interesting for his charge as soon as Naruto arrived back into Konoha.

--------

To be continued…

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Author's Notes:

Well now, it seems that Naruto is going to have to deal with a lot of things to worry about once he gets back to Konoha now doesn't he?

How will the mission to retrieve Tsunade go and what will happen when Itachi and Kisame go after Naruto to get the Kyuubi from inside of him?

Now you might ask if I will follow through with the same idea as before of making Tsunade young and have her join up with being one of Naruto's wives in this fic as this is going to be a harem, story and she does have great credentials to back it up, she is the great granddaughter of the First Hokage and niece of the Second Hokage as well as one of the best Medical ninja in the world of Naruto as well as a powerful Sannin.

In answer to that, I might do so, but I will NOT make Tsunade part of Naruto's clan, now why that is the case is a secret for now. But I will guarantee you that since this is nowhere near related to Dragon Champion, then it will not follow through the same plot. As for Jiraiya….well he too will be getting younger….though that is about it for now.

Kin has been adopted into Naruto's clan and is now part of Clan Uzumaki, how will the situation play out once Naruto gets back to Konoha when he finds out that Hinata, Hana, and Temari will be competing to be part of his Clan? And while others be intereste din joining the clan that he is now head of?

Wait and see!!!


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto Dragon Ascendant

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Naruto, either the anime or manga so don't ask me if I do.

Chapter 6

Dragon Eye VS Sharingan

( ): Thoughts

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Near a temple...

Naruto was currently training with his new staff weapon as Jiraiya observed him with the weapon, the Sannin had never seen such a weapon before and he had to admit that it certainly looked to be both intimidating and deadly as well. The blonde had to admit that this was a learning process as he had gotten whacked by the weapon more than once and like Fenrix told him, it would hurt but not kill him.

"OW!!!"

Jiraiya looked on and tried to keep the humour from his voice as he spoke to the blonde Genin.

"You should be a little more careful with that weapon of yours Naruto."

"Now he tells me..."

Naruto relaxed himself and calmed his breathing and continued with his movements in combat while trying his best to figure out how to defend and attack properly with this weapon before him, it was a bit of a problem for him since he had never taken up the use of a staff before and unlike a regular staff where you can hold any part of it, the double sword staff required him to hold it only in the middle to avoid being injured and he had to learn how to avoid being his by either blade.

As Jiraiya watched Naruto's progress he wondered just how he was going to reason with Tsunade about being Hokage for Konoha, he knew full well that ever since the deaths of her brother Nawaki and then of Dan, Tsunade had lost faith in the ideals of Konoha and that was something that was not easy to fix, Tsunade was wilful and stubborn, that much he already knew for a fact and it would take a great deal of things to make Tsunade change her mind about being Hokage.

That was why he brought Naruto along, he had something about him that could change people, he was told the details of the Land of Waves Mission by Kakashi and for Naruto to actually make Momochi Zabuza of the Village of Kirigakure to actually cry and be human showed that the young man had a knack for making people change their ways, he hoped that it would also work on Tsunade since he had a feeling he was not going to have an easy time with her. Not that he could blame Tsunade for leaving Konoha, she was not a missing-nin as many would think, she merely chose exile and the their former sensei Sarutobi sympathized with that and did not have her marked as a missing-nin.

Tsunade had the parentage, intellect, skills, and abilities to take the rank of Hokage, though her other traits would be a problem. Despite her brash nature and temper, he knew for a fact she had a very tender side to her nature and despite the two of them bickering he considered her a very close friend, or perhaps more than that.

He was actually very attracted to Tsunade and for good reason....back then he used to call her a flat-chested hag, but when they were teens and early adults she grew up and changed considerably and she was very attractive. He might be a pervert without equal but ever since he had been caught by her when he peeked at one time, she nearly killed him, which was why he kept his perverted tendencies to himself when she was around, however, even in a fury he thought she was beautiful.

(Ah....listen to me ramble, I doubt she'd look at me with Dan still in her mind....besides that, a lot of things have changed between the two of us for me to pursue her.)

In truth he hated Dan for being the one that Tsunade loved, but he managed to surpass that, seeing that as long as Tsunade was happy he was all right with it after the death of her brother Nawaki. He focused on the Fourth Hokage when Minato came to his attention and it filled him with pride to see his student rise to be the new Hokage, but it was then that Tsunade lost Dan and when Orochimaru was revealed as a traitor and turned into a monster. When he heard that Tsunade had tried to save Dan after he was fatally wounded and failed, as well as develop a fear of blood he couldn't believe it at first and before he could try and help her, she left, with Shizune, Dan's niece in tow.

The white haired Sannin sighed at the thoughts and looked at the sky as the clouds passed overhead and he spoke once more to himself.

"I hope this works..."

He turned to see Naruto beginning to get the hang of his weapon though he couldn't help but snicker as the blonde got whacked by his weapon again and again, he found it funny but had to give Naruto credit for his persistence and dedication to success and self improvement, he might not be as smart as other ninja, but Jiraiya knew better than that, he had a great deal of talent that was waiting to be unlocked and with this Dragon King Blood in his veins as well as the Kyuubi, anything could happen with this blonde kid. As he watched Naruto begin to get the movements to be more smooth, he called out to the blonde.

"Hey Naruto, time for us to grab a bit to eat, we still have a long way to go before we reach a town."

Right!"

As the two ate the food they had with him, Naruto began to wonder about a lot of things, even if the Pervy Sage was a Sannin it was still hard to imagine this perverted hermit of a ninja to be a legendary one. However it was kind of interesting to see the pervert in action. With that in mind he decided to see just what else he could learn from his travelling companion as well as figure out what sort of Jutsu he would be teaching him.

"Hey Pervy Sage, can I ask you something?"

"What is it? And stop calling me that, the name's Jiraiya."

"Anyway, Pervy Sage, how good are you as a ninja?"

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at that, he didn't expect this kind of a question and then decided to find out just why the blonde kid was asking him such a question of all things.

"You don't know what a Sannin is all that well do you? I thought that the three of us were mentioned in the history books back in the Academy."

"Well, I never got to read any books about you guys."

Jiraiya smirked, this began to remind him of his own youth when he was not that much of a school kid like Naruto was, but he decided to keep that fact to himself for the time being and decided to entertain the blonde kid.

"All right, I can summon Toads for one thing and trained under the Toad Sages back in my younger days, I also know a number of Jutsu that work with my elements of both Fire and Earth, I also can work well with Gamabunta in combination Jutsu, like you I can do Kage Bushin, I also know the Senjutsu Arts."

"Senjutsu? What's that?"

"Hmmm....It's a little complicated to explain, but the Senjutsu Arts allow a ninja to tap into Nature and gather the surrounding chakra to increase their physical and mental abilities as well as create highly powerful jutsu that is only possible in Senjutsu, in that case I have the be in Sage Mode to use them."

"Cool! I never knew that! Are you going to teach me Senjutsu?!"

Jiraiya laughed a bit and shook his head seriously.

"Not right now, I had to learn it from the Toads of Mount Myobokuzan and even then it took me some time to do, besides, even if I could use Senjutsu and turn into Sage Mode, I can't teach you that....but I do have something that I will teach you soon enough."

Naruto pouted at not being able to learn Senjutsu or how to use Sage Mode but decided to wait and see this jutsu Jiraiya promised to teach him and he decided to ask several other questions.

"So you trained any other ninja?"

Jiraiya couldn't help but grin at that and replied.

"I trained a number of ninja in my day, but the one I had great pride and hope in, was the Fourth Hokage."

That was enough to get Naruto's attention, while he was no history buff in school, he knew about the Fourth Hokage's reputation and ability despite him not being alive anymore. While he still disliked the Fourth Hokage for sealing the Kyuubi inside of him, he had to admit that surpassing the Hokages was his dream.

"YOU taught the Fourth?!"

"That I did, to tell you the truth, you look so much like him in a way."

"Huh?!"

"Let's just say that when I look at you, you remind me of him when I first had him as a student, though of course he was a lot different than you were."

"How exactly?"

"He was a natural born genius; a genius born only once every generation and quite the fighter, he learned faster than other ninja and always had a knack for learning on the move. He grew into a legend and was considered the finest ninja Konoha ever had, and despite what others thought, he cared deeply for the village and it's people, I always said I felt great pride when I think of him, if he had been my son in blood."

Naruto looked at the ground and spoke a bit.

"Do you hate me...for being the reason, your student died?"

"No I don't."

Naruto looked at Jiraiya with wide eyes, he had expected that as the sensei of the Fourth, the Pervy Sage would have carried a grudge on him for being the cause for the death of his student.

Jiraiya saw that and replied.

"There was a lot more going on that night that the Fourth Hokage sealed the Kyuubi inside of you Naruto, and there is a lot that has to be kept secret, all I can tell you is that despite what happened, the Fourth Hokage didn't choose you to give you the life you had, he chose you because he believed that you will be the hero to contain the Kyuubi and protect both Konoha and the world from the Kyuubi's power. I also believe that he sealed it in you so you can use it's power for your own uses, which I think you have found out already. The Fourth cared for the people and the village so it was hard for him to do this."

"He believed in me?"

"Yes, to use the Kyuubi's power in your own way and with your own decisions, That is what he wanted, not to mention that he wanted you to be seen as a hero for containing the Kyuubi and preventing the destruction of Konoha, however, as you already found out, not everyone in the village sees it that way. It was the Third's hope that you would be viewed as a hero too, but we could never force the people to change their views."

Jiraiya sighed at that and spoke a bit more.

"It honestly was sad that the villagers didn't comply with the Fourth's request to have you seen as a real hero for taking this burden on your shoulders, especially since I hoped they would honour his request, but at least you have not been turned completely bad."

Naruto couldn't help but take the time to digest all this, he had thought that he had been chosen to carry the Kyuubi as a form of punishment or something, but now his thoughts about his burden had been changed somewhat and he decided to speak to Jiraiya.

"You and the Old Man, see me as that?"

Jiraiya nodded and spoke once more to finish his explanations.

"Both my old sensei and I knew the Fourth; he never did anything without a reason and he was never the kind to think things carefully and plan ahead. Both me and Sarutobi belived in the decision of the Fourth, and there are some others as well. In our eyes, you are the hero that the Fourth hoped you to be, you could have taken the path others like you have such as Gaara, but you made your own way, that is why you are different, you are yourself and not a monster as that traitor Mizuki or anyone else in the village thinks."

Naruto was impressed and nodded.

"Thanks Pervy Sage."

"Not a problem, but call me Jiraiya all right?"

"By the way Pervy Sage..."

"I said call me Jiraiya kid, what is it this time?"

"Just who exactly is this Tsunade anyway?"

Jiraiya chuckled as he began to tell Naruto just who Tsunade was, he had not told Naruto all the details he could about Tsunade. This was going to be a long discussion as he got all the details right.

"Well then, Tsunade is one of the Sannin like I am, one of the best medic Ninja in the world, and she is the granddaughter of the First Hokage and niece of the Second Hokage as well, so she had the parentage to be Hokage, she also is the strongest woman in the world, and that is not just in terms of her stubbornness and pride either, she has the ability to use her chakra to enhance her physical strength to super human levels, she could kill a guy with either a punch or a kick, she has exceptional control over her chakra so she could use it to deadly effect in a fight and she summons slugs."

"Slugs huh? If you and she were on the same team then she must be around your age, 50 right?"

"Pretty much, though I doubt she'd like to be told her exact age by anyone."

"So she must be very old then, you have a picture so I'd know what she looks like?"

Jiraiya grinned and reached into a pocket and took out a picture of Tsunade but before showing Naruto the picture he decided to bait Naruto as a way to getting back at the kid for always calling him the Pervy Sage.

"All right, but don't blame me if you like the photograph, Tsunade was quite the looker back in her day and she still is now."

"Yeah right, hand the picture over Pervy Sage."

Jiraiya did so and waited for the reaction of Naruto as he found himself staring at a very attractive blonde haired and brown eyed woman with a strange diamond like mark on her forehead, even if it was a picture one could already tell that this blonde woman had a regal and strong bearing as well as ravishing good looks. And one of the largest set of breasts he had ever seen, he had seen a number of softcore magazines in his day, but none of the women in them could possibly match this Tsunade woman

Naruto looked at the photograph carefully and looked at it for another minute and directed a very suspicious look at Jiraiya and spoke.

"Pervy Sage, are you SURE she's 50?"

The white haired Sannin laughed a bit and nodded.

"Yep she is 50, don't be surprised by her looks in the picture, you see, Tsunade has exceptional knowledge of the medical aspects of being a ninja as well as the full extent of the human body so she knows how to manipulate her appearance as well as how to remain young at will, she could be able to take the form of an elderly woman or a young pre-teen girl if memory serves me right, though she prefers her form to be that of a woman in her mid twenties as you can see in this picture and with her exceptional chakra control she can keep it up for as long as needed."

"Right, sounds like she's certainly very skilled to be a Sannin, is there anything else?"

"Well....Tsunade's an impulsive gambler ever since she was young, so she will be willing to bet on any wager that is offered to her if she's more than willing to bet something on it, however this has gotten her into more than a lot of trouble."

"Why's that? I mean with her abilities as a Sannin most guys wouldn't make an issue of her gambling right?"

"That might be true, but it's not that she drives them to ruin kid, more like they relish the thought of robbing her blind because of her impulsiveness."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Tsunade's got the worst luck in gambling I have ever seen in my entire life and this saying something already Naruto, anyhow, that kind of bad luck and being an impulsive gambler has given Tsunade something of a nickname among the other people who gamble as well as the owners of the gambling dens."

"What sort of nickname is that?"

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Shizune was in a very bad state as she watched the gambling men smile, the men had reason to smile as they had once again made off with a huge amount of ryo from her companion. Shizune had tried to warn her sensei at the risk she was taking and how it might turn out, but she knew that there was no way she could completely change Tsunade's mind in her desire to gamble and it was going to be yet another blow.

The short dark haired Jonin looked the men while her sensei, the Sannin Tsunade chalked up yet another lose to her amazingly bad luck in gambling while the men who ran the gambling den were rather happy.

They had just won another haul from the Legendary Sucker.

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Back with Naruto and Jiraiya...

"You're kidding, that's where she got her nickname?"

"Right, that's why the best place to go if we have to find info on where Tsunade is, we go to the gambling dens in the towns and cities we have to go to in order to find her, if she's been losing there a large amount of money like I know she does, then they would know just where she had gone to next. Another way is to locate her apprentice and Dan's niece, Shizune, she's about the only one who can try and talk Tsunade out of something at the moment, though that doesn't work as often as one would like."

"Who's this Shizune and who's Dan?"

Jiraiya knew that was something of a sore subject....even for him, but if it would help in the search he had little in terms of options at this point.

"Shizune is Dan's niece like I said, she was raised by Dan when her parents were killed in the last Great Shinobi War, when Dan was killed in battle, Shizune requested Tsunade to take her along, Tsunade refused at first, no doubt not in the mood to take an apprentice, or rather....not willing to have someone nearby that reminded her of Dan, but Shizune insisted and Tsunade agreed, that was about some twenty years or so ago from my last recall so at this point Shizune would already by thirty and a highly skilled Medic Nin as well as Jonin."

"As for who Dan is, he was Tsunade's former boyfriend and fiancé..."

Naruto could tell that this sounded serious and waited for Jiraiya to finish.

"Dan was also a skilled ninja at the time and over time being together, he and Tsunade were engaged and would have been married...but Dan was killed in the wars before and Tsunade tried to save him but failed, that was more than enough to force Tsunade to leave the village behind."

"Wow...but with all that, can we even be sure we can convince Tsunade to come back to the village?"

"Honestly I don't know kid, there's still some issues that Tsunade has towards being Hokage considering all she's been through so we can only hope for the best and work for it too. Anyhow, there should be a town coming up and we can rest there for a while, as well as gather any details as to where Tsunade is right now."

As the two continued on their journey, Naruto wondered just how things were back in Konoha...

--------

A safe distance away...

"Never thought I would have to deal with one of the Sannin..."

The voice belonged to a man who was human sized but far from human as he had pale blue skin, shark like eyes, filed teeth like that of a shark, and there were even gills on his face as well, the man also had some sort of bundle wrapped in cloth with a handle as well, showing that the bundle was a sword. The man appeared to have the same forehead protector that Zabuza had, the only difference was that there was a gash on the metal that crossed out the symbol of Kiri on it, he was not alone as well.

There was another man with him with raven black hair and a handsome but serious face and amazingly enough, this man in question had the same red eyes with tomoe in them only unlike Sasuke's Sharingan which currently had two tomoe in them , this one had three tomoe in his, on his forehead, he too had a forehead protector with a gash on it, however his forehead protector was that of Konoha.

This man in question was Itachi Uchiha, once hailed as the hope of the Uchiha Clan and was one of the greatest of his generation. However, now he was seen as the greatest traitor of his clan as he singlehandedly massacred the clan, slaying them with his own weapons and hands along with his mother and father, the only one of his clan to survive was his brother Sasuke. Afterwards, Itachi left, becoming infamous in the ninja world as the one who murdered his entire clan for power. He however knew that were was a lot more to this than most would expect.

However the lone Uchiha decided to focus on their target for today.

"Yes, Jiraiya-sama is in a league of his own and it would not do us any good if we were to fight him right now."

"Yeah, the names Akatsuki and the Swordsmen of the Mist would be dragged into the mud if we get killed by him."

"True....but even the greatest ninja have weaknesses Kisame-san, and I already know his."

Kisame grinned and nodded.

"It's your move Itachi."

--------

In Konoha...

Kakashi was currently lying down on his bed while being watched over by Gai, Kurenai, and Asuma. The group had a recent encounter with two robed men who had come to Konoha. It was there that Asuma and Kurenai faced none other than Kisame and Itachi, both Jonin managed to get a few good hits in, but both members of Akatsuki were a lot more powerful than they were, they were in trouble until he arrived.

He recognized them to be members of Akatsuki, in a previous meeting with Jiraiya, he had been informed of Akatsuki and their intentions towards Naruto, the fact that Orochimaru had been part of the organization at some point after fleeing the village years before. He had never thought that Orochimaru would ever join an organization of all things, but after hearing that Akatsuki were not just a band of rogue ninja doing mercenary work, but they were all S-Ranked ninja told him that were things about them that was not going to be simple.

Having learned enough from Jiraiya about Akatsuki he was told to protect and train Sasuke on how to use the Sharingan, he might not be a full blooded member of the Uchiha but her was the only one who could teach Sasuke as he and Itachi were the last of the Uchiha and with Itachi a criminal already, he was the only one to train Sasuke, the Sannin would handle Naruto's training and seeing that Sannin was serious about it he agreed.

As he faced Itachi and Kisame, he knew that the very second Itachi activated the Magenkyo Sharingan, the others were in danger and he ordered both Asuma and Kurenai to close their eyes while he would take the hit and hope that his Sharingan would give him some measure of protection.

Despite having the Sharingan, Kakashi knew he would be at a disadvantage as he was not a full blooded Uchiha and Itachi was quick to point that out to Kakashi with the use of Tsukuyomi and rendered him unable to fight. However he was able to reveal that he knew who they were and what Akatsuki was and their target was Naruto himself, this made Itachi give the order to Kisame to kidnap Kakashi to find out how he found out about Akatsuki as well as getting rid of both Asuma and Kurenai.

That was when Gai showed up, hitting Kisame hard and forcing him back, Itachi knew full well that despite his oddball antics and nature, Gai was a dangerous foe and someone that was not to be taken lightly either by him or Kisame, and the fact was that Gai was the only known ninja to counter the Sharingan. With that in mind, he gave the other to retreat for now and while Kisame was not happy with the idea, he relented and off they went.

However, Kakashi was mentally incapacitated and he was out of it had had to be brought o his home by the other Jonin, this was bad enough for them, but when Sasuke showed up and asked what was going on, the three Jonin's attempts to keep the truth of Itachi's return to Konoha was thwarted when another ninja named Aoba who rushed into the room spoke out about it and the fact that he was after Naruto, right in earshot of Sasuke.

That was enough to kick Sasuke into high gear and leave Konoha to find Naruto and Jiraiya and in turn, find Itachi. He managed to get information Naruto's direction from Sakura who had been able to hear just where Naruto was going and as soon as he got the directions, he high tailed it out of Konoha.

--------

In the hotel...

Naruto was currently sitting on the bed of their room with a sour expression on his face. They had checked in and Jiraiya was about to go off and get information but he spoke and reminded him they were on a mission so no drinking and NO women, that was enough for the two to start arguing until they spotted a beautiful raven haired woman who was wearing a very attractive dress and winked at them.

Jiraiya managed to convince him to stay in the hotel room and here he was at this moment, wondering what the heck he was going to do while waiting for the Pervy Sage. At the moment, he was still carrying his double sword staff on a nearby holster that he had managed to buy and it fit in well enough. Right now he wondered just what he was going to until the Pervy Sage got back.

He decided to just relax and get some rest as he felt his body still have a few aches in him. But before he could fully relax he was greeted by knocking on the door of his room that he had with the Pervy Sage. He wondered if the woman had decided to dump his companion and he wondered just what he was going to do once the Pervy Sage came in.

As he opened the door he was going to say something sarcastic to the Pervy sage when he spotted two people before him and they were NOT the woman and the Pervy Sage, but two people who had black robes with high collars and the robes had red clouds on them, he looked at one and saw the forehead protector that had a gash on it and recognized it to be somewhat the same as the one that Momochi Zabuza had on him as well as Haku. This guys had pale blue skin, gills, and had eyes there were certainly not human and sent warning signals into his brain.

The other one however got his attention clean off as he spotted the Sharingan...

(What the heck?! That the Sharingan! But this guy isn't Sasuke, he looks older and a bit different, but only the Uchiha have the Sharingan and Sasuke's supposed to be the last one of that clan....what the heck is going on here?)

Naruto had a feeling of danger in these two before him and he was more than ready to defend himself but decided to figure out just who they were as he stepped out and faced them, he had a feeling that if he stayed in the room, he would be trapped and therefore he needed some extra movement room and the halls of the hotel would be able to give him that.

"Who the heck are you two?"

The first one who resembled a shark spoke.

"So this is the one who is the carrier of the Kyuubi huh, shame he's not bad looking, I think a lot of women are going to be sad as soon as he is gone."

(How the heck did this guy know about the Kyuubi?! I thought that was supposed to be forbidden outside of this village!?)

"You certainly have grown Naruto-kun, has it really been twelve years? Regardless, I need you to come with us."

Naruto's danger senses were on high alert, these two were not friendly and despite the fact that the one with the Sharingan had a Konoha forehead protector on him, he was not going to just turn his back and trust this complete stranger before him.

"I am not going anywhere...I want answers and I want them now, who are you two?!"

The one with the blue skin grinned a bit and reached for a handle that Naruto quickly guessed was the handle of a sword.

"Hey Itachi, this guy is going to be a handful if we do bring him along, how about I cut off his legs so he won't get away from us?"

(Itachi....why does that name sound familiar to me for some reason?)

"Go ahead."

Naruto realized that now was the time to go into combat and reached for his double sword staff, but just as he was about to get his weapon....another voice came into the whole situation.

"ITACHI!!!!"

Naruto turned and there behind him and the others was none other than Sasuke himself, and his team mate was furious, and seething with hatred, it looked like Sasuke hated this man and it was then that the blonde ninja and Dragon Ascendant heard the one speak.

"Well now, who's this new kid?"

Itachi then spoke calmly as if he was not troubled by the one who had just appeared before him.

"So you decided to show up Sasuke?"

Naruto was getting even more confused by all this and while he knew it made sense that since both that the Sharingan they would be both Uchiha, but was this guy with the name Itachi a survivor of the massacre who had evaded the attack on the clan or was he part of the clan?

The blonde got his answer to that question as Kisame spoke.

"You know something Itachi, that kid over there looks just like you."

"He should Kisame, he's my little brother."

Kisame smirked at that and spoke.

"Brother huh? I was under the impression that you had singlehandedly killed all of the members of your clan that night, you mentioned nothing about this young brother of yours."

Itachi however was calm still and replied.

"I let him live....so I can see if he has what it takes to end my life, to avenge those I killed to gain the power of the Magenkyo Sharingan. What say you little brother? Have you done as I suggested?"

Naruto's eyes widened at that, so this was the one who stared the clan massacre of the Uchiha, and was the one that Sasuke was so hot on killing when he first met this guy in the meeting of himself, Sakura and Kakashi, he had though that it was someone who had an axe to grind with the Uchiha, he was not expecting to hear that the one who killed the Uchiha Clan was one of their own and was Sasuke's own elder brother to boot.

The young Uchiha was a bit winded but the put that out of his mind, he had a hard time finding the room Naruto and Jiraiya were staying in and had made a mistake once as well, but now he was facing the one man he wanted to fight ever since he graduated from the Academy in Konoha and the one he had been training his whole life to defeat the second he was able to face him.

Sasuke thought about that day all over again, and while he wanted never to think about that fateful night, he needed to, in order to remind of him what he was going to do, many would think that killing one's own blood was a mistake, but not to him....after all, his brother was the one who brought the Uchiha Clan to near extinction that night.

He thought about his day when he had asked his brother Itachi to help him with his training and how he had seen his brother as the better one between him and his father. Itachi promised to teach him the technique some other time and after the usual tapping on the head which was his habit…he left the house they lived in. He recalled his discussions with his father and mother and then his chat with both his uncle and aunt. He recalled his day at school reading books and practicing his shuriken throwing. And that night…he recalled heading home…seeing a man in the top of a pole on the street, he rushed to see who that person was but when he got there…there was nothing…

He then heard shouts and curses…and screams…he rushed there quickly and to his shock and horror he saw fellow Uchiha dead…the street was covered in blood and weapons were everywhere. He ran through the road and saw bodies of everyone who was of the Uchiha clan…his clan and then he saw his uncle and aunt dead.

He rushed into his home and saw no one there…he prayed that his family was somehow missed by the killer or killers who did this…and he hurried to try and find his father and mother after leaving behind his shoes and bag. He searched the rooms but then heard a shout that he recognized easily and rushed to the meeting room of the Uchiha Clan screaming for his parents. He heard his mother scream for him not to enter and he then heard the sounds of death and he froze…trying to fight the urge to run away. He opened the doors and he saw his mother and father dead…he walked in and saw someone approach…he backed away…fearing that it was killer or one of them…but to his relief…it was his brother Itachi…he rushed to his brother hoping to find out what was going on…

But he got the greatest shock of his life…when his brother threw his own shuriken at him and cut him on the left shoulder…he fell, hoping that what happened was not true…his brother would never hurt him like this…but he was wrong as his brother looked utterly different from before, he had the Sharingan on…but it seemed permanent for some reason. He tried to speak to his brother…to figure out why he did what he did and what was going on. But Itachi told him he did it to gain a powerful heritage of the Sharingan…the Magenkyo Sharingan…

.And in a moment…Itachi made him relive the entire massacre all over again from the very beginning…and he recalled his brother's words that day…

And now...he was ready to settle old debts and scores, even if he was going to die in the attempt as long as Itachi paid for slaughtering their own family.

"I have....I have lived with hatred....I have despised you for as long as I have..."

"Really? I rather doubt that."

"Now I will kill you!!!"

Sasuke used the hand seals and summoned his chakra to create the Chidori and charged right at Itachi, apparently ignoring both Naruto and Kisame, but Itachi was not surprised and calmly blocked the Chidori and held Sasuke fast and began to crush his arm's bones, Sasuke tried to free himself at that moment but Itachi reacted and forced Sasuke his knees in pain.

"Damn it!"

Kisame then grinned and spoke to Naruto.

"See that? Now come along quietly so you won't have to go through that."

Naruto glared darkly and then replied.

"DRAGON KING BLOOD...RELEASE!!!!"

The two were surprised to see the tattoos appear on Naruto's body and then as the tattoos appeared, Naruto used the Wind Element and attacked as he finally got his weapon out. The blast of air he unleashed from his hands caught both Itachi and Kisame off guard and they were sent back as Naruto charged at them at full throttle.

He had no idea why someone like Itachi would willingly slaughter his own clan like that and do this to his own brother, but he was not going to let this one situation slide as he readied his double sword staff, with Sasuke out of commission for the moment, he would have to hold the line until backup arrived in the form of the Pervy Sage. It was not that he was lacking confidence in his abilities, but he was not in the mood to be taking unnecessary risks and despite the fact he knew little of them, he was not going to get caught up as there were two of them.

Naruto used the first blade of his double sword staff and attacked Itachi first as he was the apparent leader of the two, Kisame blocked and the larger male and the blonde Genin fought one another, the fact was that since Naruto didn't have that level of training yet with weapons he was still uneasy with his movements, but he was a quick learner and began to hold his own.

.Coupled with his physical abilities as a Dragon Ascendant, the blonde was more than able to hold his own with Kisame despite the Akatsuki member's full strength, that surprised Kisame as he had not expected this level of strength from someone like this young kid.

"Not bad, you've got some muscle under that frame, now then, try this!!!"

Kisame went for a powerful heavy swing as he backed away to hit Naruto, Naruto blocked with his double sword staff and quickly countered with a charging shoulder strike that forced Kisame back considerably. This surprised not just Kisame himself, but Itachi as well as it took quite a deal of force to move Kisame with a shoulder charge attack as the one Naruto had just decided to use.

Naruto quickly moved away to avoid Kisame's attack and fired another blow at the Akatsuki swordsman as he lashed out with a fist and unleashed a powerful blast of air right at the two of them. The blow was further increased by Naruto as he managed to cover the blade of his double sword staff with Wind energy and send out several blasts that forced the two Akatsuki members back and it was then that Naruto punched the floor of the hotel and ripped out a large wooden beam with the force of his Dragon Ascendant strength and tossed it right at his foes to buy him some time.

Kisame cut down the beam after holding his ground against the Wind attacks, attacks he had no idea about but that was when Naruto revealed the other blade and then Kisame found himself facing two blades that were attacking him and deflecting his attacks as well. This made the situation a great deal more difficult for him, while he had plenty of room to fight in, he didn't have the room to move in.

Itachi had no idea what was going on at the moment as he not been informed of Naruto's new found abilities as of yet, but he knew that they would have to hurry, while he knew Jiraiya would not resist the charm of a beautiful woman, there was still a chance that the Sannin would return.

He was about to use his trump card but then Kisame spoke to him.

"Don't use those eyes of yours yet Itachi…I warned you about the strain beforehand when you used it on the Copy Ninja…let me deal with him."

Naruto heard that and roared…

"What?! What the hell did you do to Kakashi-sensei you bastard?!"

"A very special power of the Sharingan that only a true heir of the Uchiha can use, Naruto-kun…don't worry…he's alive and safe in Konoha, though his mental state is questionable in terms of recovery…so I suggest you surrender…lest you suffer that same fate…"

"Never!"

Kisame and Itachi were about to attack at the same time when Naruto summoned all of his power and focused on literally blowing the two of them away.

--------

Jiraiya sighed as he looked at the sleeping woman on his shoulder…he had some suspicion about this incident and sensed that the woman was placed in a Genjutsu to lure him out and he knew that only one person could have that ability.

(Looks like I've got a young whelp to deal with.)

But just as he turned, he heard a massive explosion and quickly realized that things were about to get complicated.

--------

Outside...

Itachi and Kisame shook their heads and found themselves on top of a roof of what appeared to be a very large warehouse that was close to the hotel that they were staying in, both Akatsuki members shook themselves clear and tried to gauge what exactly happened to them. The Jinchuuriki they had gone to capture turned out to be no ordinary pushover as he had effortlessly fought them both off and then blasted them through the wall of the hotel with a massive wave of air that he unleashed from his mouth..

"Damn....I thought we had him."

"So did I..."

Both ninja turned to see Naruto leaping through the cloud of dust, debris, and dirt and spinning his weapon on top of his head while the glowing tattoos that resembled wind were on his body. The blonde ninja landed and placed his double bladed staff behind him in a one handed grip and spoke.

"I don't know who you all are, but if you think for five seconds I am going to be easy to capture, you are seriously asking for it!"

The blonde got his weapon ready and then recalled his attempt in using the Lightning element into a sword, and wondered if he could do the same to his double sword and focused his Dragon King Blood to the blades and sure enough the blades glowed as he got them before him and then the blades were surrounded by a vortex of air that moved like small tornados on the blades themselves. This was his first attempt and he had no idea just how this might turn out but he was not going to give up just yet.

Itachi was calm but even he was not expecting this at the moment, those blades appeared to be totally ordinary, when Naruto had taken out the handle, he felt something about it that screamed danger to him, and the very second the first blade appeared from the handle without any difficulty it told him that this capture was going to be far from easy. Now this was happening, it made it apparent to the Uchiha that this fight was not going to be simple.

Kisame growled and readied his sword the Samehada and shouted to Naruto.

"You've got some skill there, but let's see how good you really are with that weapon!"

"Try me!"

Kisame charged with his sword, intent on crippling the young blonde, but Naruto was more than ready, he might have not developed that much mastery over the double sword, but it was more than enough for him to hold his own before the member of Akatsuki. The Samehada clashed with the double sword and the wind from the blade was more than enough to rip off the covering on the Samehada, revealing the appearance of the sword for the first time to Naruto and he said it the only way he knew how.

"Yuck! That is one UGLY sword!"

"Watch your mouth you cheeky brat!"

Both broke away and Kisame attacked once more, trading blows with Naruto who used the double sword with good enough skill, he was getting the hang of the weapon and the vortexes of air gave him another set of advantages in combat that he was thankful for. The first was that the air allowed him to have a secondary layer of defence to counter attack, plus the wind could be used to cut even deeper than before and it gave him some good uses to move with.

He blocked an overhead slash from Kisame no doubt meant to decapitate him with one of his word blades and then used the wind on the other blade to rocket over the Akatsuki swordsman and then as he landed, he unleash three powerful blasts of air that smashed into Kisame with great force, forcing the tall man in the robes backward, Kisame jammed the Samehada into the floor of the roof and tore a trench to stop his movements, he grinned, revealing the same filed teeth that Momochi Zabuza had.

"You've got moves brat, but I doubt you can beat me that easily."

Naruto snorted and got ready, however, he did keep an eye on the other one named Itachi, he recognized him well enough due to the Sharingan he had with him at the moment. He had no idea who this guy was and thought that Sasuke was the only remaining Uchiha left, until he put two and two together and realized that this guy must be the one Sasuke was after.

Itachi quickly threw a pair of shuriken at Naruto and the blonde reacted defensively and then Itachi attacked, with a pair of kunai, the blonde quickly was in for a fight as Itachi proved to be very skilled in close combat as his kunai flashed and struck at Naruto, the blonde knew that if he didn't have his Dragon scales on his body, this fight would not have been easy.

Kisame was quickly to catch on as he got into the attack, Naruto now found himself being attacked by both Kisame and Itachi and seemed that the situation was about to get a bit more dramatic than usual. Naruto had experience in fighting one on one, but never fighting two people at once. With the bracers on him, his abilities were limited, while he had more than enough strength to stand in a toe to toe battle with Gaara, he had no experience in fighting more than one foe. He knew that he could take no chances with either of them and had to engage them in a more controlled fashion.

He rolled away as both of them attacked at the very same time and then he moved back and then spun his double sword staff and unleashed several powerful waves of wind at both Akatsuki members, forcing them back and it was then that Itachi decided to use a more direct approach to subduing the blonde Genin.

He made several hand signs and unleashed the Uchiha Clan's famed signature Jutsu on Naruto to see if he could hit the blonde and give himself as well as Kisame the chance needed to capture the blonde.

"Gokakyu No Jutsu!!!"

The Fire ball came right at Naruto and he quickly managed to move away just as Kisame came in and slashed Naruto on the back. The ninja swordsman grinned, but that grin faded as he saw that Naruto was uninjured by the attack despite the damage to his clothes. Naruto landed and was then hit by yet another Gokakyu No Jutsu and that was when Itachi was not happy, he had been tasked to bring Naruto back alive, but now...

However, that was not to last and Itachi as well as Kisame was surprised as Naruto appeared through the flames, slightly singed but otherwise unharmed even his heir was undamaged with the exception of his clothes, sections were burned off while some were charred, he still had some semblance of clothes on at the moment, but the rest were ruined yet holding together to keep his modesty. Naruto looked at his now ruined clothing and shouted angrily at both the Akatsuki members.

"You bastards!!! Especially you with the Uchiha eyes!!!! Those were my favourite clothes you just incinerated!!!"

(How could he have survived Itachi's jutsu?)

(How did Naruto-kun withstand that?)

Both questions were not going to be answered as Naruto fought back with his own attack, this time he countered with his own technique, he picked up the idea of Fire being increased by Wind and decided to pay Itachi back.

"Hey! You want to breathe fire huh?! How about this?! RAGING INFERNO BLAST!"

Naruto commanded his Dragon King Blood to use the Wind Element and mix it with his standard fire breath and both Itachi and Kisame found themselves greeted by a massive wall of fire enhanced by wind and the two escaped as Naruto unleashed the flame with considerable force. Itachi and Kisame were lucky to have escaped, but the lower parts of their robes were burned as they were hit by the flames.

Naruto was far from done as he began to summon his Dragon King Blood to finally deal with the two before things got out of hand. It was then that he unlocked another part of his power as a Dragon Ascendant, The Dragon Eye, he felt a massive rush of energy run to his eyes and then he closed them, feeling the power flow through his eyes quickly.

Itachi and Kisame closed in to deal with Naruto as he seemed to be distracted at the and they closed in, intent on catching him, however at that moment, Naruto opened his eyes to reveal the Dragon Eye for the first time.

Itachi saw Naruto's eyes and saw them glowing deep blue and then to his shock, the eyes had tomoe in them, in the same fashion as the Sharingan, but in Naruto's case, there was not one, not two or three in a fully matured Sharingan, in Naruto's eyes, there were five! All forming a pentagram style pattern around Naruto's eye and the iris turned from dark black to silver and taking a combination of a slit and an orb, this was not his normal eyes at this point and it resembled a Sharingan, yet Itachi could see the difference as well.

(What the?!)

Naruto felt the rush of energy in his eyes and then blocked both Itachi and Kisame with barely a second to spare and then fought them off and Itachi decided to move back, still shocked by what he was seeing at this moment and it was then that Kisame decided to take matters into his own hands and attack Naruto, unleashing a massive torrent of water, but Naruto quickly reacted and unleashed a powerful blast of fire from his mouth that burned away the water and then he leaped upwards into the air and unleashed several powerful blasts of air from his double sword staff and as Kisame blocked with the Samehada, Naruto fired another blast fire, only this time it was a spear like form of fire that managed to bypass the defence of the Samehada and pierced right through Kisame.

"AAUUUGGH!"

The shout was right in the money as Naruto's unleashed fire lance pierced Kisame in the chest near the left shoulder of his body. The Akatsuki swordsman tried to move but to his shock, the shot of flame not only pierced his body but severed several nerves and even disabled some of his chakra pathways.

Itachi quickly realized that this was turning into a violent situation and decided to move in before Jiraiya arrived; there was naturally the chance that the Sannin would be alerted to the happenings above them at the moment. Itachi moved in and attacked with his kunai and fired several shuriken. Naruto blocked them and charged right at Itachi, the two duelled with one another as Itachi tried to land an attack but he saw the kunai break in half as he stabbed for Naruto's chest, he saw that there was not even a nick on his target's skin and backed away to use another Naruto grinned and replied.

"Nice try, but a kunai can't cut MY skin and you don't have the strength to do that! My turn!!!"

Naruto charged towards Itachi and leaped into the air and spun like a top towards Itachi with his double sword blade still spinning with his body and the attack forced Itachi back and he quickly dashed aside to attack from the rear, but that was when Naruto revealed that the tome in his eyes were not for show. He lunged backwards and then...

SLISH!!!!!

There on the second lower blade that was behind Naruto impaled Itachi and the blonde replied.

"I can see you Itachi, you might be fast, but I can still see you!"

The blonde moved back as the Itachi turned into crows and then flew towards him in formation and the blonde got his double sword staff ready and Itachi spoke through the crows.

"You are very capable Naruto-kun, I would have never expected that of you, and that ability you....that was never recorded on your data card."

"Hmph, this is my Kekkai Genkai, or should I say one of the gifts of my Kekkai Genkai."

"You have a Kekkai Genkai? This is unexpected, however, I will not stop in capturing you."

It was then that the crows reformed to turn back into Itachi and he fired at least three several shuriken at Naruto to hit him and the blonde blocked at attacks and Itachi closed in and unleashed another attack as he used several wires to attach to Naruto and unleashed his jutsu.

"RYUKA NO JUTSU!!!"

The massive fire smashed hard into Naruto but like before Naruto was unfazed and leaped at Itachi and then Itachi evaded the attack but when he landed, he was greeted by three Kage Bushin, apparently when he broke free from the wires that bound him he summoned his Kage Bushin and the three moved through the fire while the real Naruto leaped upward. Itachi was about to attack when he noted that the three Kage Bushin had different tattoos than the real Naruto one's tattoos were deep blue, another's tattoos were fiery red, and the other had deep brown. He was shocked to suddenly attacked by a massive wave of fire and as he landed he was attacked by a wall of rock and a wall of water at the same time, resulting in him being open to Naruto attack as the blonde closed in and delivered a strong uppercut to Itachi, this time the real one was hit and Itachi was able to land next to Kisame who recovered the use of his left arm.

The Akatsuki swordsman spoke at this point.

"I hate to say this, but this brat is certainly a handful."

"I agree....you have grown much stronger Naruto-kun."

Naruto glared and then replied as his kage Bushin flanked him.

"You haven't seen anything just yet!"

Then to Itachi's surprise, Naruto and his Kage Bushin did a certain set of hand signs which he recognized and it was then that the blonde Genin and his Kage Bushin unleashed the jutsu.

"Gokakyu No Jutsu!!"

The four massive fireballs were heading right for both Itachi and Kisame and that forced both ninja to use a defensive technique and both unleashed a powerful wall of water and that was enough to block all four attacks but the blast of the combined assault not only reduced the water into scalding steam but was also more than enough to throw Itachi and Kisame back even more as the Kage Bushin faded away. The roof couldn't take anymore and the roof collapsed and all three fighters fell through the collapsing roof.

Naruto managed to get himself up and looked and spotted both Itachi and Kisame despite the fact that there were several walls, items, boxes, and rooms before him, he tracked them and he was amazed that he was able to see them through walls and other debris, he got ready to move out and then engaged the two, surprising both Itachi and Kisame when he blasted through the walls with his Kage Bushin.

The fighting continued as the blonde Genin dispersed his Kage Bushin and managed to fight both Kisame and Itachi until they were in a massive room. Naruto was awed as he could literally SEE his foes in a way that was both awe inspiring and slightly disturbing, he could see not just their chakra, but every movement they could make both visible and invisible and despite the distance between them at the moment, he could see them clearly as if they were just a few feet away from him.

The three were so focused on the fight between them that they were unaware of two new arrivals as Sasuke looked on, it had taken some serious physical effort to keep up with his injuries but the Uchiha youth managed to follow them from the hotel all the way to the warehouse interior. He was currently on an upper floor and near a railing to see the two Akatsuki members who recovered while facing the panting blonde ninja on his team as Naruto readied himself once more to fight.

Sasuke had witnessed all of the happenings from the get go, managing to drag himself to his feet and follow the trio when they started fighting one another, he saw the changes in Naruto's eyes and couldn't help but feel even more shocked at what he was seeing at this moment, and the fight he witnessed angered him as Naruto had nearly overpowered his brother while he had barely made even a simple cut on Itachi.

(Damn it!!!!!)

Itachi was impressed, he had no idea where Naruto had obtained such power but it was making even his Sharingan look a bit weaker. He then spoke seriously to Naruto as he and Kisame walked towards him.

"You fight well Naruto-kun....in fact, you are much stronger than I ever imagined....it's a shame my brother does not have the power you have."

That was enough to anger Sasuke, he was right there in plain sight but his brother ignored, instead, his attention was on Naruto!!!

However Naruto suddenly coughed and began to move sluggishly and cover his eyes, loosening his grip on his double sword staff, surprising Itachi and Kisame as the blonde grabbed his face with both hands and fell to his knees, and as soon as he moved his hands away, Itachi and Kisame noted that his eyes had reverted back to their old forms, making Itachi comment.

"However, it seems your body is not able to handle the strain just yet, now I will ask you to come with us once more..."

Naruto however, despite feeling like his body was in pain, his arms felt like soft dough, his legs felt no better and his vision blurry and swimming got his weapon and replied.

"Never!"

It was then that another voice came into the game as Jiraiya appeared.

"Looks like I missed most of the party but got to see a very good show either way, so we meet again Itachi Uchiha."

Itachi looked to see Jiraiya there carrying the woman he had hypnotized using the Sharingan to lure Jiraiya away from Naruto for them to be able to capture Naruto alive and without interference from the Sannin himself, that was enough to tell him that his attempt had failed in trying to get the Sannin away from them.

"Well met Jiraiya-sama, I had thought that plan had worked on you."

Jiraiya placed the lady down and replied.

"I'll admit that it nearly worked, however, if you're in my league Itachi…the women flock to you…"

Naruto however was not in the mood for this and spoke.

"Can we stop with that for now Pervy Sage?! I need some help here!"

Jiraiya sighed at that and then focused on Itachi and Kisame, but he focused on Itachi first, while he respected the Sharingan due to it's abilities, he was not happy with the way Itachi had used them on the woman who was currently recovering.

"Using an innocent woman as your pawn…I normally would have considered that as one of the most insulting things you can do as a man Itachi…but considering the organization you belong to…I shouldn't be surprised…and I was right…you and your fellow ninja in Akatsuki are after Naruto…and others like him."

"So that's how Kakashi knew…you were the source of information…so I guess hiding is out of the question…yes…to abduct Naruto, it was the order of the highest echelons of Akatsuki."

"Well as you can see…Naruto isn't the kind you can easily capture…and this time you will not be getting him."

"Oh?"

"Because both him and I…are going to kill the both of you."

Naruto grinned as his body began to recover and he readied his powers and his double sword staff for the chance to finally stop both Itachi and Kisame once and for all.

"All right! Let's do this…!"

"Don't do it…"

Naruto turned and saw Sasuke stand up as he glared at Itachi.

"This fight is mine…MINE!! DON'T INTERFERE!!"

Sasuke rushed towards Itachi…even when he could not use Chidori and tried to attack but Itachi merely attacked with several blows in the body and made Sasuke cough out blood.

"SASUKE!!"

Naruto was about to rush in and help his team-mate with his double sword staff at the ready and he was already readying his next batch of spells… but Sasuke screamed at Naruto…stopping him in his tracks.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!! HE'S MINE!!"

Sasuke glared at Itachi as he spoke to him.

"You're not worth my interest at the moment Sasuke…you are weak…and at this rate you will be weak…let me remind you about why you should kill me…let me bring you back to that night…only this time…you will feel it for an entire day."

Itachi grabbed Sasuke and stared at him and Sasuke screamed…Naruto couldn't take it anymore and quickly retaliated.

He charged with his sword staff spinning in his hands and that was enough to force Itachi away from Sasuke and he finished off with a combined attack from his powers of Fire and Wind that forced Itachi and Kisame further away.

Itachi thought about using the Tsukuyomi on Naruto but something in his mind told him that doing so might not work the way he expected, that set of eyes he saw radiated power and might prove to be something of a challenge to break through. With that in mind, the Uchiha turned to leave with Kisame in tow but not before speaking to Naruto.

"We will meet again."

As the two left the area, Jiraiya had thought on using a jutsu to capture them, but decided against it as doing so was not ideal and the jutsu relied on them being in an enclosed space for the moment. He checked on Sasuke and could see that the young man was out of it from the attack of the Sharingan, while he had never been on the receiving end of the jutsu before, he could see that Sasuke had been put through a serious amount of mental damage.

"Jiraiya-sama!"

The Sanin turned to see none other than Gai who had followed Sasuke to try and stop the young man from getting in way over his head. The Sanin then managed to stop the blonde Genin from following both Kisame and Itachi.

"Where do you think you are going?"

"What's it look like?! I'm going after those two!!"

"You are not going Naruto."

"But..."

"Think this through, you might have managed to hold your own, but if you were to be trapped and ran out of strength than what? Besides....we have to worry about Sasuke."

Naruto tightened his grip on his double sword staff and decided to follow Jiraiya's advice and had the blades of his weapon move back into the handle.

"All right Pervy Sage....but I..."

"I know that Naruto....I feel the same way, but we have other things to worry about at the moment."

With that the three of them decided to check on Sasuke. Jiraiya felt like things were not going to be the least bit easy from here on out, there was no doubt in his mind that just because Akatsuki had been beaten back for now, their search for Tsunade was not going to be easy.

He had a feeling that Orochimaru might decide to look for Tsunade as well, with the injuries he had suffered them the jutsu Sarutobi used on him, he would need help from the best medic nin in the world and Tsunade was the best one he knew of when it comes to healing injuries, both physical and mental.

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In a certain hideout...

Orochimaru sighed as he got dressed, despite the sheer pain his arms were still in, he was thankful that he could still move them to a certain degree. He turned to Kabuto who was currently cleaning up a mess left behind by the Snake Sannin, apparently one of his underlings made the mistake of entering the chamber while the Sannin was angry.

That showed that the Sannin had quite the temper when riled by someone or something and the usual recipient of his wrath was going to be dead by then.

Kabuto sighed once more and he was done with the mess. He then faced the Sannin and spoke to his apparent leader.

"Everything is ready for our departure Orochimaru-sama....however..."

"What is it Kabuto?"

"I....I do not think this will be an easy mission, if this Tsunade is as powerful as you say, there is a chance she might not agree to healing your arms."

Orochimaru smiled at that and replied.

"Do not worry yourself on that regard Kabuto....I have an offer she will not be able to easily turn down."

"I understand, but if she still is loyal to Konoha...."

Orochimaru grinned and replied.

"I have a feeling it will not be the case, trust me, she has a good reason to leave the village."

Kabuto was intrigued by that but decided to leave it to the hands of his master, if Orochimaru could convince Tsunade to heal his arms then there would be no need for Orochimaru to change bodies just yet. However he had to wonder just how she was going to react to the fact that she was being searched for.

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In a nearby game shop....

Shizune who was carrying Ton-ton cheered at the sudden change of her sensei's fortune when she won in a bingo game machine and earned a lot of money, this was a chance to help pay off the loans that they had to deal with at the moment with the people in the gambling dens that Tsunade had been in.

However...Tsunade had other thoughts on the matter...

(This is bad...)

--------

To be continued....

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Author's Notes:

Now this is a first, yet another ability that Naruto develops with his use of the Dragon King Blood flowing in his body, as you might have guessed, this is actually the pure form of the Dragon Eye, it's a mixture of the abilities of both the Sharingan and the Byakugan, in hindsight, this is the ancestor of both Dojutsu, befitting the explanation given by Fenrix to Sasuke stating that the Kekkai Genkai of their world is derived from the blood of the Ascendants who remained behind on this world of theirs, this also includes the Sharingan.

Naruto's version is in this case the pure form of the two Dojutsu and it potentially pure formed that the others mentioned, as you might have guessed, it has five tomoe than the Sharingan's three tomoe and has the power to not just copy other jutsu, but also increase the overall power of the jutsu in question, not just replicating it, forcing both Kisame and Itachi to combine both Water Jutsu to block the attacks even then, the combined attacks literally set the house down to the ground, it also has the high ability of perception of the Sharingan allowing Naruto see even the fastest moving objects but in such a level that even Itachi's overall speed is no match for it despite Naruto's first time use of it, the Dragon Eye also combines the sight range of the Byakugan as well the ability to see through objects as well as walls and grants Naruto the ability to see the chakra points of a target that allowed him to nearly cripple Kisame's left arm with his breath attack. This also allows Naruto the ability to aim not just at the chakra points but also the vital areas of the body.

However, the power used in the Dragon Eye in the early stages is a bit taxing for Naruto, forcing him to recede to his normal version of eye sight, showing that unlike Sasuke or Itachi who can use the Sharingan well enough and as much as their chakra allows, Naruto has to summon it with a considerable strain befitting the fact that it was his first time use of it. There is also the fact that while his first use is very impressive, it is still in the novice level and not as powerful as the Dragon Eye possessed by a senior Ascendant.

There is also the fact that since this ability was only recently discovered and Naruto lacks the training to use it to full power, he is unable to maintain it and is unable to move or see properly, leaving him in a vulnerable state as his body is weakened by the massive influx of energy plus the uses of his powers earlier in the fight with Kisame and Itachi before awakening the Dragon Eye.

Now how will the situation be once Naruto and Tsunade face off with one another, while Tsunade's super human strength be enough to match Naruto's Dragon Ascendant strength? How will the training with the Rasengan go with Naruto's Kekkai Genkai on his side?

Wait and See!!


	8. Chapter 8

Naruto Dragon Ascendant

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Naruto, if I did, I wouldn't be writing about this at all.

Chapter 7

Life Choices...

( ): Thoughts

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Along a road…

Naruto continued to be silent as he thought about what he had witnessed now less than half a day ago, having seen the man that Sasuke wanted dead, knowing that it was Sasuke's own brother. They had left Gai in charge to take Sasuke back for treatment in Konoha, Gai had also filled Naruto in with the details of what had happened to Kakashi.

That made Jiraiya comment that they should do what they could to bring Tsunade with them in order for her to heal both Kakashi and Sasuke. That was enough for him to push on with what they needed to do. However, as they walked towards the next destination, he couldn't help but feel that those men were not going to give up.

"Pervy Sage...."

Jiraiya turned and was about to snap a bit at Naruto for calling him that name again, but that stopped when he saw the deep look in the young man's face.

"What is it Naruto?"

"I was thinking about those two....that Itachi and the shark faced swordsman....they are the Kyuubi aren't they?"

Jiraiya nodded at that as he had found out about the organization Itachi and the one known as Kisame worked for. The organization known as Akatsuki were very much a band of renegade ninja who did mercenary work and had no ties to any villages even their former villages. However, the ninja that formed Akatsuki were not a band of ninja rookies or semi veterans trying to earn a simple payment of ryo. The ninja that formed Akatsuki were all S-ranked ninja, the most skilled and the most dangerous ninja today. It was known that Orochimaru was once part of the group and obviously Itachi was as well as Kisame, but he also knew that the group expressed great interest in the Bijuu and their containers the Jinchuuriki. And with Naruto being one of them, he couldn't blame Naruto for not liking the news.

"You're right about that, the group Itachi and Kisame work for is called Akatsuki, they are a band of ninja who are all missing nin from their own villages. And they are not Genin or Chuunin rank either, they are Jonin or higher and are considered S-ranked ninja, too dangerous for normal people to fight."

"But why the heck are they after the Kyuubi?!"

"To be honest, I have no idea, it confuses me why they would want to have the Kyuubi in their possession, but I can bet that it is not going to be something that anyone here today will like in the least, and since all of them are S-ranked ninja, you can guess that their plans with the Kyuubi's power is will not be good for everyone involved."

Naruto had to agree with that and as he thought about it, he knew that if what the Pervy Sage said was true, then there was no doubt he would be facing the two again, or worse yet, the rest of Akatsuki, while he was able to take on the two of them, he was doubtful that he could win against so many. But he was also able to know that he could use the Kyuubi's chakra as well for defending himself and there was no doubt in his mind that with his newfound Kekkai Genkai, he could stand up to them as soon as he developed the strength, both physically and mentally to use his powers well. He was not happy with being the one containing the Kyuubi, but he was not going to let some criminals with dark intentions take it from him and use it on the world.

"I won't let them have it Pervy Sage, I might dislike the Kyuubi….hate it even, but I will not let it be used by others as a weapon."

Jiraiya looked at Naruto and he could see that Naruto was dead set on the matter, he smiled at that and decided to make sure that he would teach Naruto as much as he could manage, and he knew just the jutsu that would suit Naruto well enough.

"Good, anyhow, as soon as we get to town we can rest for a bit, and then we can get down to the training bit. I did promise you that I would be teaching you a good jutsu and I keep my promises Naruto so perk up and let's get moving."

That was more than enough to perk Naruto right up and he grinned as they headed off to get to the town, besides that, he had the urge to have some ramen to eat, he had not been able to pack some extra food supplies for the trip and therefore he was eager to have some good food to eat as well. As they made their way to the area where the next town would soon be before them, Jiraiya wondered how well Naruto would be able to learn the technique that he was about to teach him. This was something he was going to be looking forward to.

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In a hidden location…

"Itachi….you seem to be rather early."

Itachi nodded a bit as he and Kisame met with the other members of Akatsuki, however, the other ninja who formed the group of Akatsuki were not really there before the pair, rather these was the images of the other members, the ninjas who formed the group of Akatsuki were a very secretive bunch and preferred to only gather together physically when the need was great enough for that.

The slayer of the Uchiha clan and his partner were in position and then Itachi spoke.

"I apologize for that, we ran into complications."

"Complications? You and Kisame were sent out to capture the Jinchuuriki who possesses the Kyuubi due to the power of your Sharingan."

"That is correct....however..."

"Cut the chatter Itachi! You don't have your target with you after all! You failed didn't you?"

One of the images spoke in a very hostile tone towards the Uchiha, Itachi however ignored it and the apparent leader of Akatsuki spoke to the one in question.

"Deidara, lower your tone and hold your tongue."

"Hmpf!"

"Now then Itachi....what happened in your mission?"

"We ran into Jiraiya-san who was accompanying the Jinchuuriki, Naruto Uzumaki. We managed to move him away from Naruto, but apparently the young Jinchuuriki was able to stand up to both of us."

"Why didn't you use your Sharingan against him then Itachi?"

Itachi thought over what he saw back there when he was fighting with Naruto, the eyes that he had before him, and as he wondered just where the blonde Genin had gained his powers, he spoke of the battle where he and Kisame had to put all their effort into fighting Naruto who was more than able to hold his own against the two of them. As soon as he finished, the other members of Akatsuki were deep in thought while the one named Deidara spoke in the same hostile tone.

"So the great Sharingan was outdone eh? I guess you Uchiha aren't as good as you claim!"

Itachi then replied.

"That is because....he too wielded a Kekkai Genkai, but unlike anything I have seen before, it was able to allow him to keep up with my movements as well as even copy the jutsu that my clan uses in a daily basis, what is more, it allows him to see beyond physical objects as well as see into a person's body to see the chakra pathways. I believe his Kekkai Genkai is a combination of my clan's Sharingan and the Hyuuga Clan's Byakugan."

The leader spoke.

"Really? This doesn't seem to match up with what we have gathered about this Naruto....we will have to avoid him for now and observe him, see if there are any details that can help us solve this mystery, therefore, he will not be taken yet until we ascertain the reasons for him having this kind of power."

Itachi nodded at that and so did Kisame. They decided to consider to keep Naruto under surveillance for the time being to figure out just where the blonde Genin of Konoha gained such powers, there was a chance that the Kyuubi had given the blonde that kind of power, but Itachi doubted it, there was something else going on here and until they were able to get the right information to make sense of Naruto's sudden powers, attacking him was off limits to everyone.

It was then than that he thought about Sasuke, he wondered if this could work to make Sasuke push himself even further to finally have the power needed for his own plans, he needed to be in order for him to fulfil the role that he wanted his brother to take. For now, all he could do was wait and observe, but if he had to....he would be more than ready to remind his brother just what his goal was for getting stronger.

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In the town...

As soon as Naruto and Jiraiya arrived in the town, they were quick to find that there was festival going on and as soon as Naruto saw it, he was in the mood for some fun, however, Jiraiya was able to take his money and remind him to limit his expenses, Naruto was not the least bit happy, but decided to make due as he played with the games offered.

He then found out that the Pervy Sage had left behind his pack and decided to take a peek, much to the blonde ninja's chagrin, the man had more money than he could ever home to save in his life time, making him a bit angry that the perverted ninja sage was using his hard earned money but not his own, however, Naruto's money matters were about to change when he stumbled on a nearby game booth that offered quite a large sum if Naruto won the random luck of the draw.

Seeing that he had nothing left to lose, Naruto gave a small part of his still remaining ryo to the game and took the shot. And boy did he win! He got first prize at that instant and won over fifty thousand ryo. Naruto grinned happy at that and decided to lace all that money away and go about and enjoy the celebrations a bit more. He eventually stumbled onto a group of guys who were getting into a fight with another man. The blonde groaned and decided to get ready for a fight, however he then spotted the silver hair, the kabuki style jacket, and the big scroll and knew that the gang had attacked his companion. That was enough to stop Naruto in his tracks, and the next event was enough to make Naruto's jaw drop.

As Jiraiya created a glowing sphere of pure chakra in his hand and with shocking swiftness, slammed the sphere into one of the men and sent the guy flying, the other man panicked and high tailed it out of there. The blonde teen was flabbergasted by that and Jiraiya noted that and grinned at Naruto's direction.

"Hey Naruto, how's the festival?"

"W-W-What was that?!"

Jiraiya smirked and replied.

"That my dear student is the jutsu I promised to teach you, it's the Rasengan, something I think you will have some good time learning."

"Jiraiya-sama!!!"

Naruto turned and spotted the women who were dressed in some really revealing clothes that resembled kimonos, but were apparently meant to entice men and make them enjoy the company of women, and the women, even with the make up they had on were already physically pleasing to the eye. The blonde quickly turned away and Jiraiya could see that he was trying not to peek at the women.

This made the Sannin grin and boy was he tempted to have Naruto inducted into learning just how much fun it was being with women, namely women who were very much open minded as well as being able to know how to pleasure a man. But he decided against it for now as Naruto would learn in his own time. Besides, now that he had shown the Rasengan to Naruto, it was time to get to work on teaching him.

"Naruto, give me just an hour or two and I'll see you at the northern section of town so we can begin the training."

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Back in Konoha...

Fenrix looked over the documents that were handed to him, it seemed that the Konoha Council were doing their best to gain an advantage over the clan and get some level of control in it. The one named Danzo certainly made his moves on the clan and while the old man who lost an eye and an arm was very skilled in matters of politics, the senior Ascendant was no fool and countered the man's actions well enough. It galled him to know that such a war hawk was trying to get him involved in a new clan's matters, but considering all he had learned about Danzo, he was not all that surprised to say the least.

There were other matters that were naturally LESS annoying than meeting the elders of Konoha, he had just met Hiashi as well as Tsume and Baki, these people were speaking about having ties to the newly formed clan headed by Naruto. He looked at the documents that they presented and while the Ascendant was familiar with Naruto's class mate Hinata, having observed her for some time, he decided to look at the documents to be a bit more familiar with the three prospective mates that his student was going to be dealing with.

Hinata was already a good person by heart, he knew that much after observing her for nearly twelve years, while she was not as courageous or eager for fighting, at least not after being encouraged by Naruto to stand up for herself, she was kind hearted, gentle natured, as well as being able to think clearly in stressful situations, these plus her other traits meant that she would make an excellent mate for Naruto, the fact that she had an already existing affection for the blonde ninja in question was already a bonus on her part. As he looked Hinata's file over, she studied her history a bit more to be able to really know her, while he had gathered a great deal of information about the Hyuuga Clan it paid to have a bit more information for better use. He also knew that Hinata possessed a good deal of chakra control, no doubt from being a Hyuuga clan member and using the Byakugan.

He was well aware that the Dragon Eye that Naruto would soon use was the ancestral form of the Byakugan and therefore was stronger in terms of potential, but since Hinata was able to use the Byakugan she could help her mate perfect his own use of the Dragon Eye. Not to mention being the heiress of the Hyuuga Clan made her very capable and he had also gotten her test scores, showing that she was well gifted with intellect, something that would prove handy in helping her prospective husband in managing clan affairs.

(Yes....Hinata Hyuuga would prove to be a worthy mate....though it will be interesting to convince Naruto to see Hinata in the way she dreamed of.)

He then directed his attention to the next document that had information pertaining Hana Inuzuka, the young woman was by far the eldest of the three women whose names were put forward, he was aware of the Inuzuka Clan's ability to interact with their canine familiars and knew about Tsume and her son Kiba, Hana however seemed to be a bit different than both her mother and little brother, she was a veterinarian and also a Chuunin ranked ninja, having her own canine familiars, she apparently was a bit more gentle natured than her family as well as being more patient than her hot headed sibling as well as laid back and loving, there was no doubt however that Hana was as fierce and strong as her family if they were ever threatened as well as the village of Konoha, he had gathered the reports when she and her mother along with their canine familiars fought with the invading forces of Suna and Sound. While she was an expert in medical jutsu as her file suggested, she was no doubt using those said abilities to heal animals, not that it was a bad thing after all. He was also aware of her slight lack of domestic skills due to her long hours as a healer.

However that can be fixed well enough in his mind and her already considerable resume made her a viable candidate, however it would be better that Hana and Naruto would take time to get to know one another first in order to get better acquainted and there was no doubt in his mind that her brother Kiba was not really liking the fact that he was going to be an in law to Naruto considering their history before in the Academy. However, time can do wonders if the two could work together.

(This might take a while, but this could work out, though I doubt Naruto would see it completely that way.)

He then looked Temari's file over, she was the strongest of the Genin from the village of Suna, she was naturally overshadowed by her youngest brother due to him carrying the Shukaku. Temari was able to use wind in battle, and when aided by the iron fan she carried. She appeared to be exceptionally educated due to her standing as the eldest child and daughter of the late Kazekage, another trait he found to be very much needed in a newly born clan such as this one that his student was heading, she is also mentioned to be the only Genin in Suna able to summon a familiar though she had never been seen using the said familiar in action. The one in question also possessed a considerable level of chakra for one so young, there was also the fact that while she did have exceptional strength in body to carry such a weapon as well as mental strength, she also had a kinder side to her personality despite her fierce temper and stubbornness.

As far as he could see, the changes Gaara had undergone after fighting Naruto had made the relationship between them a lot more relaxed and the two were seemingly repairing bonds with one another, something that Fenrix founded to be favourable by most if not all standards, it would take time however for her to adapt to being with Naruto as well. At the very least this day was not going to get the least bit boring.

Another thing that Fenrix had to consider was informing Hana, Hinata, and Temari about Naruto's condition as a Jinchuuriki, it was considered needed to inform them of it so they would understand Naruto's condition more so he could determine just how far they would be willing to go in being married to Naruto. It was not going to be easy, but it was far better this way to truly see how far they would go to be in this clan.

"Fenrix-sama, your tea is ready."

Fenrix turned from his work to see Kin walking up to him with a small tray with a cup of tea in it. He smiled gently at the newest member of Naruto's clan and something of a ward for him, it had taken some time to explain Kin's presence in the household. The Council members including Danzo, Homura and Kohane had seen the body of Kin dead after the battle, yet here she was alive, breathing, and whole. Fenrix then explained how he had brought her back from the land of the dead and explained that such a power exists in the Ascendants, and also in Naruto as well.

This shocked them and it was not long before the three, namely Danzo asked, or thinly threatened him to reveal its technique and methods, however the senior Ascendant was not frightened and replied that the only way a technique can be learned is if they have the blood of an Ascendant as it was a very difficult process by most if not all ninja standards. He also replied to their veiled threat by speaking on the Uchiha matter. His smile told the three that he was well aware of something and his next words proved it as he spoke to them privately while the others were looking at Naruto's mansion home.

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Flashback...

"You want to teach that technique? No, I will not, that is a clan secret and will remain so as well unless my clan head says otherwise."

"True, but the Uzumaki clan is new and therefore it is still under the supervision of the Council."

"Just like the other clans? Including the Uchiha before they were wiped out?"

"Yes it is, so such techniques must be known to the rest of the village to increase it's power and ability."

"You mean yours, I do not think that it would be wise, after all, while the Uzumaki Clan is new in it's creation, it is not going to give out clan secrets, I certainly do not recall the Hyuuga Clan teaching others the Gentle Fist, or the other clans teaching their techniques. Those are their own techniques and abilities so no one else may use them. The same goes for the Uzumaki Clan as well."

"I'm sure we can work something out, for all parties involved."

"You are very persistent for a trio of children, you think that you can just ask and even threaten the clan just because it's new? Do not think that I am not aware of your past deals. I wonder what others will think of your actions when I tell the rest of Konoha how you three helped in the death of the Uchiha Clan?"

'What?'

"I am well aware of what happened that night all those years ago in Konoha, and how you three played a part in it by forcing one of their own to act as a spy in his own clan, how you three used his love for the peace of Konoha to turn him on his own people. I know how that one lone Uchiha was forced to slay his own kin under YOUR orders when you decided that it was after the Kyuubi's attack that the clan should die."

"How did you know this?"

"Ahhh....that would be telling now would it? Make no mistake however; I am not someone you three can threaten as easily. Ascendants like me have lived far longer than normal humans and compared to me, you three are but children. So let me make this clear to you three...the techniques of this clan are for this clan alone, no one else can learn it unless willed so by the clan head. As long as that is understood, there will be now problems between all of us, I am merely reminding you that you should NOT overstep your actions here, this clan might be newly created but it is a clan nevertheless."

"But it is under Konoha's sphere."

'I do not contest that fact, but even the Council respects the Hyuuga Clan as noble house am I correct? And before the events that led to their destruction, even the Uchiha were given some semblance of autonomy in Konoha. The same is expected of this clan as well. That is your laws and if you are willing to break your own laws to get an advantage, then there is no reason for this clan to remain under your protection no does it?'

--------

End of Flashback...

As he thought about that, his own veiled ultimatum had hit home on the three elders, he was right after all, the Uzumaki Clan could chose to sever it's ties to the village and relocate to a new location and it's powerful Kekkai Genkai would be lost forever to them. While Naruto was indeed loyal to his home village, Fenrix could convince him otherwise, though Fenrix had no intention of that happening just yet, he only did that as a warning as Naruto did have that authority. The three couldn't take that chance and backed away from their moves to try and acquire the ability that Fenrix had used to bring Kin back to life. However the Ascendant knew that they were not going to give up anytime soon in their plans to get a chance foothold in the clan, he was not bothered by it and focused on the time to drink his tea.

Kin smiled a bit as she handed her adopted master the cup of tea she had made, it took some time to learn how to do it but she managed and waited to see if he liked it.

"How's the tea?"

Fenrix sipped and finished the drink, he looked at Kin and nodded.

"Not bad Kin, anyway, there are some important things that we will need to discuss with Naruto as soon as he gets back, we also need to ready some rooms for our soon to come guests here in the fortress."

Kin nodded at that as Fenrix placed aside the documents for the time being to work on the matters at hand. He knew that when Naruto arrived, things were going to get rather interesting, he was rather looking forward to it.

--------

Jiraiya nodded happily at Naruto's growing progress as they travelled towards the next town as the blonde Genin was currently making yet another Rasengan and this time the blonde Genin was doing it well enough to pass as a full Rasengan. He had kept his word and began to teach Naruto the basic steps of making the Rasengan. Of course he had to explain such steps in detail when Naruto asked him how it worked, he didn't mind but at least Naruto was a quick study and began to quickly grasp the steps of making the Rasengan.

The first step was fairly simple in terms of description, but Jiraiya knew that the first step was not as easy as one might think; Naruto had to spend hours figuring out the concept and grasp how to use it, however, his already present training in the use of Elemental Manipulation as well as recalling the training that went into focusing chakra back in the Academy, the blonde began to get the basics into play.

That was good news for the Sannin as the blonde Genin was showing great seriousness in trying to learn the jutsu, he had asked a tip or two but vowed to learn on his own, no doubt keeping to his promise to put all the things that he had been able to learn to the field. Jiraiya knew that the training was going to be rather humorous as he had a number of water balloons for Naruto to break.

It had taken a day for Naruto master the first step of the making of the Rasengan and naturally, Naruto had soaked himself several times while working out how to do the step, showing that while he could easily master the move with his already existing powers, Naruto still had difficulty in learning new jutsu, but challenges were what made a good ninja after all, and with that of the way, now was the time for Naruto to take it further.

He then got Naruto to be ready for the next step, explaining that his first lesson was on the effort of rotation and the next was going to be power. Naruto worked with the next step and this one also took Naruto at least a full day as well, the second step required him to try bursting rubber balls and focus on power. This took a bit longer, but the blonde Genin was more than willing to take a lot longer in how to perfect the second step to learn the Rasengan. Naruto managed to complete it, but he had to have a VERY late dinner afterwards, however, the blonde Genin had no problem

The longest part of the training came the next day as he told Naruto how to use the two steps to master the third and last step, this time he had to make the sphere of chakra without moving the ball. The Sannin had a good laugh at Naruto's expression and just how exactly he was going to do that, he explained that this step three was meant to create the need for stability. It had taken a day and a half for Naruto to work on it as this proved to be a real challenge for him. However Naruto was more than willing and ready to do what he could in order to master the third and last step.

While Naruto was able to complete the rest of the steps, Jiraiya could tell that Naruto needed a bit more time, however instead of spending a whole week, Naruto insisted on learning on the fly at the moment instead of staying in one place, saying that he could do it while they looked for Tsunade. Jiraiya was not sure of that was a good idea, but seeing that there was nothing that he could say in order to change Naruto's mind, they decided to go ahead. And it was there on the way to town that Naruto completed the Rasengan and revealed on a nearby tree...making Jiraiya smile at his happiness at the moment.

"Nicely done Naruto, you mastered it in half a week. The Rasengan was made by the Fourth you know."

"Really? I never knew that, so did you teach it to him?"

"Not exactly, it was the other way around, he taught me how to do it and it took me a bit longer than him to master it myself, so you should be proud you were able to do it in only half a week. Now you can use it to make your own variants as well."

Naruto was in high spirits, he was eager to show Sasuke and Sakura as well as the others back in Konoha how he had grown in only half a week, but he kept the idea on how to make his own variant. As they arrived in the town, Naruto decided to relax a bit while Jiraiya looked about for the new information, he quickly found one of the men who had won a good haul from the blonde Sannin and as soon as he was able to know it, he sighed as he heard how much the gamblers had taken from his former team mate.

(I knew it....she's still at it yet again...)

It was then that shouting was heard and when he got there, he found out that Naruto had decided to try his luck again with a gambling machine, and to the Sannin's surprise, the blonde won the jackpot, much to the collective surprise of the people there. That sight of the blonde Genin winning the jackpot on the first try made Jiraiya realize that in terms of gambling luck, Naruto had the one up over Tsunade.

As they left after Naruto once more collected his winnings, they arrived to see a number of people running as if there was something terrifying chasing them. It was then that Jiraiya asked what was going on all of a sudden, it was at that same moment that one of the men said that there had been a tremendous fight in the area and some sort of massive snake was seen in the area, as well as a blonde woman along with a dark haired woman carrying a pig, as well as two other men with one having deeply white skin.

As soon as he heard the words giant snake as well as the people mention, Jiraiya gave a deep sigh.

(So....Orochimaru's after Tsunade as well, it figures...)

Naruto was not being dense this time, he knew that the only way a giant snake would show up was when a certain snake summoning bastard who killed the man he considered to be a grandfather to him. He had a feeling that this was going to be a very tough mission from here on out and he turned to face Jiraiya.

"You think that the snake summoning bastard is after Tsunade?"

"Looks like it, we'd better hurry up, the sooner we get there, then all the better, Tsunade is not someone even a Jonin like Kakashi can take on, but we can't take any chances."

As soon as they got there, it had taken some time as they had no idea of the place's layout, as soon as they looked about, Jiraiya was able to see that this was indeed the work of both Tsunade and Orochimaru. There was no doubt in his mind that this discovery of Orochimaru pursuing Tsunade has just made this mission a lot more interesting and a lot more risky.

--------

In the bar...

"Waiter....another round please!"

Shizune looked on with considerable worry as Tsunade drank yet another round of sake as they were resting in the bar. Tsunade was not in the best of moods due to what she had learned, and the offer made by Orochimaru to bring her loved ones back to life in exchange for healing his arms. She couldn't help but feel as if all her emotions were moving around like a river in a storm.

Shizune looked at Tsunade in great worry, she knew that when Tsunade got like this, there was nothing she could do in order to stop her she tried her best to stop Tsunade from taking Orochimaru's offer, she knew just how evil the former Sannin was and hearing that he had killed their own sensei was something that Shizune considered immoral. Yet, she couldn't help but try and find the fact that Tsunade was indeed tempted.

Ever since the death of both her brother and her fiancé, her master was deeply hurt inside, she used her current appearance to not just avoid the debt collectors who hounded her, but to recall the things she had missed all because of the deaths of her loved ones, but now Orochimaru wanted to bring them to life for her in payment for healing his dead arms. Shizune however knew that the snake Sannin was criminal and a traitor and she doubted that his offer didn't come with a price.

The meeting between them was far from pleasant, Tsunade had just won a considerable fortune in a gambling area, but instead of being relieved like she and Tonton were at her sudden change of luck, the blonde Sannin was deeply worried and left the gambling area before she could even collect her winnings. Sure enough Orochimaru showed up and after a brief but showing battle the former team mate of her master told them that he had killed their master. She knew that it got quite a reaction from Tsunade and then the request to heal his arms of Sarutobi's jutsu in exchange for resurrecting her deceased comrades.

It was also there that she was able to see that Orochimaru knew of Tsunade's weakness to seeing blood, no doubt due to the fact that they had been a team before with Jiraiya. She tried her best to let Tsunade take this course of action at that time but even Tsunade forbade her to interfere....and it here they were now at this point and time.

It was then that two people walked in and one of the mentioned Tsunade's name.

"We can't just give up Pervy Sage! That Tsunade's got to be around here somewhere."

"I know that kid, but we can't do anything on an empty stomach, besides we can get more information in the bar sicne I know also that she like to...."

Tsunade looked in the direction where the voice was, she didn't recognize the first voice, but she seemed to recognize the second voice and it was not long before the blonde Sannin looked to see none other than Jiraiya himself.

The Sannin in question also looked in that direction, spotting a familiar face and it was not long before the two Sannin spoke.

"TSUNADE!!!!"

"JIRAIYA?!?!"

Naruto looked at Tsunade and had to whistle mentally to himself.

(So that's Tsunade....I guess the picture does do justice in this case.)

--------

Later...

Naruto happily munched away at the food as he and Jiraiya was sitting before Tsunade and Shizune were, it was then after finishing her drink that Tsunade spoke…

"All these old faces…here at once…I swear if I wasn't in a drunken mood…I'd think this was a reunion party…"

Jiraiya poured her yet another round from the sake bottle…and Naruto stopped eating his fish and he looked at the two as he already had an idea on who Tsunade was referring to as he knew the three Sannin and since there was one more.

"So Orochimaru's here too…what exactly happened here?"

Shizune was about to speak, but Tsunade gave her a warning glare…however, Naruto and Jiraiya were already aware of what was going on, Jiraiya had a sneaking thought as to what Orochimaru was up to and Naruto also had a feeling that the snake bastard wanted something from Tsunade. The blonde continued to eat, but a part of his mind was already at work, his training under Fenrix had made him a little bit harder to catch off guard as well.

"Nothing…just catching up on old times…"

Jiraiya knew better…he had seen the look Tsunade gave Shizune…a warning look, that look from Tsunade to Shizune easily told him that Orochimaru had far more interesting things to talk about to Tsunade than reminiscing about the past. That told him that he had to hurry before things got even worse.

"The reason I got here is the fact that the Village Council had sent the request that you become the Fifth Hokage."

Naruto knew about it firsthand before back in Konoha so he ignored it and continued eating…while Shizune was shocked and Tsunade was stunned slightly by the announcement. Jiraiya was about to say that the Third was dead…but Tsunade beat him to it.

"I know about the Third…Orochimaru told me himself that he killed Sarutobi-sensei."

Naruto was shocked by this as he stopped eating and then looked at Tsunade, he found her impassive response angering and made that point clear when he spoke to her.

"And you just stood there as he said that? You did nothing to at least kill that traitorous bastard who tried to destroy your home village and killed your sensei? You had a chance but never took it…why is that?!"

Tsunade turned and looked at Naruto…wondering why he seemed somewhat familiar to her somehow…as if she had seen him before…despite the rather off looks that he had…not that they were ugly or anything…but just a bit off for someone so young.

"Who's the loudmouth Jiraiya?"

"You know him well enough Tsunade…even though you two never officially met…he's Naruto Uzumaki."

(So he's the Kyuubi container…I never he'd look more like a young adult than a adolescent…)

"So what's your answer Tsunade?"

"What you're asking me is impossible Jiraiya…I decline.."

(This is not looking good…)

"Funny you should say that of all things Tsunade…that was the exact same phrase you said when I asked you out a long time ago…"

"Hey Pervy Sage…we're supposed to be asking her to come back to the village and heal Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei, and even Bushy brows Lee, and to be Hokage…not going on a date of all things…and she already said no."

"I'm aware of that Naruto…but don't forget…I'm not cut out to be Hokage…Tsunade's own grandfather was the First Hokage and like I said…she's got the abilities and intellect to be a better Hokage…plus she is not a Sannin for nothing…her battle skills were legendary and her healing skills were unmatched…and she still has them."

"I'm aware of that Pervy Sage…you told me on the road remember?"

"Jiraiya…this young kid accompanying you is a lot louder and more different than your last apprentice."

"Normally I'd take that as a compliment, but I get the feeling it's more of a joke than a compliment Old Lady."

"Well it's tough being compared to the Fourth…he had the talent, the skills, the jutsu, the looks and the compassion to go with it all…he was a genius and the best Hokage the village had then.."

"But he died young didn't he?"

Jiraiya looked on silently and so did Naruto as Tsunade continued to speak.

"He gave up his life for his village…Life is not the same thing as money…you can get money back…but a life is one time thing…you can never gamble it or win it back…anyone who throws his life away was a fool."

Naruto gritted his teeth in growing anger as Tsunade spoke onwards.

"My grandfather and my grand uncle focused so much on making the village peaceful and prosperous…but in the end…they died in the middle of their dreams…they lost everything…and ended up dead…"

"I'm surprised at that way of seeing things Tsunade…you have changed a lot, and you've said all you've thought and had on your mind."

"I'm already 50 Jiraiya like you…age can do that to people."

"it's no wonder Sarutobi-sensei died…he was already too old to live his dreams."

Jiraiya glared at Tsunade and wondered just what made her like this…though a part of him already had a clear idea of what happened to her long ago.

The title of Hokage is a foolish and worthless thing …anyone who wants it will be nothing but a fool…"

"I'VE HEARD ENOUGH!!!!"

Naruto rushed up and was about to draw out his sword staff when Jiraiya stopped him…

"Keep your temper cool Naruto…we're in a public place for Kami's sake…"

"I don't care about that even if we suddenly find ourselves in the middle of a scorching hot desert in our birthday suits at this very moment Pervy Sage! I am not going to stand by and let this old hag insult the Fourth, and all the Hokages and the title!!!"

Naruto glared darkly at Tsunade's smirking face and he cracked his knuckles and looked even more enraged while Jiraiya and Shizune looked on. He could feel his Dragon King Blood

"You have the audacity to not only insult the Third who was among the very few people I ever cared and respected…the man who was like a Grand Father to me…but your own Grand Father The First Hokage and even the Fourth?! I don't know what kind of incident in your life made you in a cold and heartless ice woman Old Lady…but if you think you're going to get away with those remarks…you're dead wrong…for all those who died living their dreams…I'll make sure to rip that smirk off your face with my bare hands…even if you are a woman!!!!"

Tsunade stood up and glared back with a smile.

"Oh yeah? You've got guts and gall to be saying such things in my face kid. Then let's take this outside."

--------

Outside...

Tsunade expected this fight to be fairly direct as well as easy and she decided to make Naruto react first to finish it, however, the very second she struck him on the forehead of his forehead protector and sent him back, she was surprised that instead of flying back, the blonde loudmouth was only sent back a few feet and without lasting harm.

Jiraiya looked on and replied.

"This just got interesting."

Tsunade looked on with some considerable surprise as the blonde young man before her managed to get himself up without any trouble and began to creek his neck. Naruto was surprised at the strength that Tsunade possessed but he was not going to back down as he cracked his knuckles and replied.

"Not bad you old hag!!! You've got some strength, now let's see you match up to an Ascendant!!!"

Tsunade barely had enough time to react as Naruto punched his open hand into the ground and literally rip a chunk of the earth right out of the ground, and there before her was the blonde Genin carrying a sphere of earth the size of a building roof. The blonde Sannin had never seen anyone do that with using chakra enhanced strength before, just how was this young kid doing it?!

Jiraiya had to admit that getting Naruto riled was a bad idea, even with the bracers on him, Naruto's strength was more than able to match Tsunade's in combat as the blonde Genin tossed the massive rock as Tsunade, his former teammate was forced to shatter the stone to avoid it hitting her. However, he knew that Naruto was far from done with his attacks.

Shizune was surprised at this as she never expected that there was someone who could match her sensei in the area of powerful strength! But this young man was proving to be able to match her right before her eyes.

(How can someone like him have that level of strength?!)

The blonde Sannin managed to avoid the next blow from Naruto as the blonde Genin attacked her with a powerful straight up punch, she managed to parry the move but was surprised at the sheer force behind it, the strength this kid had was comparable or higher than her own chakra enhanced strength, that told her that being hit by this guy was asking for trouble.

Naruto and Tsunade began trading blows and the blonde Sannin found herself fighting someone who was not only able to fight in par with her in terms of physical strength, but can take a serious beating too as she was forced to use her full strength, she lashed out with a fierce straight punch and hit Naruto in the chest, a normal person would have died from the impact, but Naruto was only pushed back a foot or so and he shrugged the blow off and growled at Tsunade and lashed out with a straight kick that she avoided but then heard a tearing sound and then she glanced at her pants to see that while the blow missed, Naruto unleashed enough force to cut the cloth and come close to tearing her skin..

The two looked at one another and Naruto growled, allowing his energy to flow into his body at that moment, and then he allowed his Kekkai Genkai to awaken once more at full force.

"DRAGON KING BLOOD!!! RELEASE!!! WIND!!!"

The others watched as Naruto's body was covered in glowing tattoos and as soon as that was over, Naruto gathered a massive amount of wind to him and unleashed a powerful blast of heavily focused air pressure that forced Tsunade to evade as a tearing sound was heard and a massive trench was made where she had been standing before....much to her surprise as the blonde Genin grinned back as he prepared to use the Rasengan and made the move. The blonde Sannin recognized it but was surprised that Naruto was able to do it with one hand while using Wind at the same time with a spear of pure air made in his other hand, showing that Naruto's training was paying off greatly and his growing powers also added power to it all.

But that was then that Jiraiya stopped the fight before it could get ugly but stepping and forcing Naruto to stop his attack before things got ugly.

"All right, that's enough you two, Naruto, keep your cool and deactivate those powers of yours."

"But..."

"Do it Naruto, we can't force Tsunade to join us, so we should at least give her a week to decide this for herself."

Naruto saw that Jiraiya was serious and did so, allowing his tattoos to fade away and also his Rasengan but he looked at Tsunade once more and moved away, but not without saying that he was going to go back to the hotel. But not before he spoke to Tsunade.

"You old hag....you spat at the names of all the people who gave their very lives to keep the village safe! Those people who made the ultimate choice to lose their lives to make sure that the peace of the village would remain and grow to full strength! I don't know why you are like this, the granddaughter of the First Hokage no less, but if those people who gave their lives were to be alive and heard you mock not just the title of Hokage but the sacrifices of all involved as well as their own, even your own sensei...they would consider never forgiving you if you ever help that snake summoning bastard to destroy the village they gave their lives to protect! And considering all I heard from you ...you don't EVER deserve to protect those dreams since you dare to mock them!"

With that, Naruto quickly created another Rasengan and smashed it hard into the stone wall nearby. He was unaware however that the meaning of his words had an effect on the blonde Sannin, she shook her head and looked at the retreating form of the still irate Konoha Genin and Dragon Ascendant Tsunade then decided to turn and face the white haired Sannin who shook his head at his student with a slight grin. As soon as that was done, she spoke to her former team mate.

"We need to talk."

Jiraiya nodded at that and the two headed off, while Tsunade's assistant Shizune and Tonton decided to follow Naruto, she knew that she had to tell Naruto the truth about what was going on and why Tsunade was the way she was at the moment.

--------

In the small bar...

"You haven't changed much Tsunade, still as beautiful as ever."

Tsunade snorted a bit at that as she and Jiraiya began to drink again in a nearby open night bar, the blonde Sannin was still trying to digest what was going on here, as far as her memory went, the blonde kid that accompanied Jiraiya didn't have that level of power, but until she could get her head sorted out, she decided to play along.

"And you haven't changed much either Jiraiya, you realize that you're the one man I don't plan on dating, and besides that, we're the same age right?"

"I know, besides younger women is more my thing anyway."

As the two drank their sake, Jiraiya then dropped the bomb.

"So Tsunade, are you planning to meet Orochimaru at the end of the week?"

Tsunade was unhappy with that and wondered just where had he figured all of that it out. Jiraiya noted that look in her face and replied

"I saw the handiwork you guys left earlier and I met some people who said something about a giant snake. And considering that you mentioned meeting him I assumed that he wants you to heal his arms and like me he offered something in return, I'm not as dense as some might think Tsunade, including you."

"Damn it...."

Jiraiya could tell that this was a tough time for his team mate and from what he had been gathering on his former team mate ever since he left the village, there was no doubt that Orochimaru had planned something to tempt Tsunade into siding with him to heal his arms.

"You realize that you are going to be helping him destroy all the things that the Hokage had built ever since the founding of Konoha if you heal his arms, Konoha is more than the buildings and monuments there, it's the people, their hopes, dreams, beliefs, and more for the future. The Hokages of the past including your grandfather and grand uncle, our sensei, and my own student gave everything to help ensure that the happiness, security, hopes, and dreams of the people of Konoha would survive and prosper even in the darkest of times. Yes they died, but they died knowing that they protected not the buildings of Konoha, but the people who lived in it. If you decide to help Orochimaru, then all they have done up to this moment will all be for nothing.

Jiraiya looked at Tsunade seriously.

"You and I both know that Orochimaru hates Konoha so you can have no doubt that he will destroy it and kill all those people there just to test his power. I can't imagine that someone like you would be willing to allow that to happen and also help in making it happen....but Kami help me, because if I do find out about you helping him, I will kill you Tsunade."

Tsunade could see that Jiraiya meant those words and she stared back.

"That has nothing to do with me..."

Jiraiya sighed at that and replied.

"That is wrong, you cared for the village once Tsunade, you loved it with all you had for their sakes...."

"Stop it...."

"Listen...I know about why you left the village. I know I cannot grasp how you felt when Nawaki and Dan died and that was what drove you to leave Konoha. But helping Orochimaru will do nothing more than destroy it all, everything that they..."

"Jiraiya....stop it. You think I don't know how it feels?! Every day, ever since I left I wondered what I should have done to save them! I had to watch the corpse of....my brother in the morgue....I couldn't recognize him. He was so young, so eager, so full of lie, and now he was gone from my life only half a day after his birthday....and then I watched Dan die, and I couldn't save him....I, the greatest Medic Nin in Konoha couldn't even save the man I wanted to marry...."

Jiraiya knew that this was very touchy territory for Tsunade as well as himself. The blonde Sannin then spoke about another subject....Naruto.

:"That kid....why did you bring him?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's such a loud mouth....saying those things..."

"He struck a nerve didn't he?'

Tsunade said nothing but Jiraiya could tell that Naruto's words before had hit Tsunade hard, she might be a tough and stubborn woman, but the way Naruto said those words that she was demeaning the deaths of everyone who fought to keep Konoha safe and saying that if she ever helped Orochimaru, the people who died in keeping Konoha safe would never forgive her for betraying their dreams for the village had struck her hard. The reason was that what Naruto said naturally included Dan and Nawaki as well, both of them had bright hopes and dreams for Konoha in their lives, and they died for those dreams. If she did what Orochimaru wanted, then she would betray them completely.

Jiraiya sighed and replied.

"At least he was honest about it. Anyway, I guess being the head of a new clan and wielding a powerful gift makes him a lot different than before."

"What was that?"

Jiraiya filled Tsunade in on the details that he was able to gather about Naruto's newfound powers, explaining how he was able to stand up to her as well as learn the Rasengan in a shorter time frame, as well as his current standing as head of his own clan despite his age. Suffice to say Tsunade was shocked by the implications of it all and as soon as that was done she looked at her glass and wondered just what was Naruto doing tat this moment.

Naruto in his case was currently being told by Shizune about what had happened and while his anger towards Tsunade's callousness had not softened, his understanding of her situation increased at least. Shizune hoped that her explanations would help ease Naruto's harsh treatment of her sensei and it seemed to work. Naruto then decided to spend his time training once more, this time, with a special surprise in store for not just the blonde Sannin and his own sensei, but the snake summoning bastard himself.

It was also at this moment that Tsunade succeeded in slipping a special drug into Jiraiya's drink, hoping that it was going to be enough for what she had in mind.

--------

A week later...

"Damn it....I should have known she'd try something like this to keep us away from this fight."

Jiraiya felt like he had been fed a serious dose of sleeping pills as well as some seriously strong drink at the very same time. In this case, he was as he was unable to move and focus his chakra; the drug had also helped in making him sleep for nearly a week. Tsunade made the drug especially for him in order to keep him from interfering in her plans. As soon as he work up, he managed to get some food to help build up his strength just as Naruto had finished his own training in his own time....having thought that the Pervy Sage had drunk himself to the point of being.

Now they had been told the whole story of what exactly happened between Tsunade and Orochimaru by Shizune. It galled Jiraiya that Orochimaru was using Dan and Nawaki to buy Tsunade's help, he knew how tempting such an offer was to Tsunade and would be too powerful for her to resist as both men were truly important to her, and this made the whole thing even harder to deal with.

"We have to hurry! Tsunade-sama is in danger, they know her fear of blood and might use it on her!"

Naruto and Jiraiya knew that to be true and the trio, supported by Tonton located Tsunade; they were surprised to see a trail of destruction going out of town, and that told them that something had happened and considering that Orochimaru's smell was being followed by Tsunade's smell away from the scene told them something good.

Shizune had filled them in on Orochimaru's companion who appeared to be very skilled, the description matched that of Kabuto and while Naruto was confused at first, he quickly decided to see for himself if it was true that Kabuto might be working for Orochimaru. If he was, he was going to deal with him personally.

--------

Outside of town...

Tsunade groaned a bit as she tried to get her energy back after chasing Orochimaru and Kabuto; she had made her decision only days before and vowed to end Orochimaru herself. While it seemed that she had agreed with Orochimaru's plans as well as accepting his promise to not harm Konoha, she had other plans, she knew that Jiraiya was right, and she knew that as well, there was no way Orochimaru would ever agree to leaving Konoha alone and he would also use Dan and Nawaki to control her.

Besides, that blonde was right, if she did agree to it, she was betraying Dan and Nawaki in the most brutal and most insidious way possible, and despite her desire to see Dan and Nawaki again, she knew that they could never forgive her for doing not just allowing Orochimaru to bring them back from the dead in the same way he had done to her grandfather and granduncle, but also destroying the village they had given their lives to keep safe. She had tried to kill Orochimaru using a special jutsu that had killing intent, but the young man named Kabuto revealed his own skill as a Medic Nin and stopped her....leading to the battle outside.

She was getting tired and Orochimaru taunted her while Kabuto fought her, she had to admit that the young man was good, even more than her in terms of skill and medical know how when she was at her own height. But that hardly stopped her and she had come close to finishing him off but that was when he used her fear of blood on her by slitting his wrists and allowing the blood to cripple her.

Kabuto attacked fiercely to even up the score, hitting the blonde Sannin fast and hard and as best he could, but as he attacked once more, it was then that a massive gout of flame came at him and forced him away from Tsunade, he turned and there was Naruto as well as Jiraiya and Tsunade.

Kabuto moved away and smiled at Naruto as the blonde Genin glared at him.

"So Naruto-kun, you arrived."

Naruto's vision, boosted by the Dragon King Blood in his veins had allowed him to see Kabuto attacking a helpless Tsunade and that galled him deeply, not only that the man he thought a friend was a Sound spy, but attacking Tsunade the way she was right now. He looked to see Jiraiya still uneasy on his feet, no doubt from the drug used on him by Tsunade and Shizune trying to help her sensei out of her state.

"So, you are indeed a spy, I tried to discount that, but I saw you attack Tsunade and the Sound forehead protector as well. I am going to beat you to a bloody pulp."

Kabuto decided to goad Naruto as Orochimaru looked on.

"How do you plan to do that? You are alone at the moment and I am not a Genin in reality, I know even how to kill ANBU you know?"

Naruto however growled and replied.

"Maybe you have killed ANBU, but have you ever killed a Dragon Ascendant in combat? Especially since the one in question has the blood of a Dragon King flowing in his veins?"

Kabuto had not idea what that was about, but he was going to get his answer soon enough as Naruto used his Dragon King Blood once more.

"DRAGON KING BLOOD!!! RELEASE!!! LIGHTNING!!!"

The tattoos came back to life and now Naruto attacked Kabuto, the Medic Nin knew that attacking Naruto directly was going to be out of the question and he used his arsenal to even up the odds. Naruto however was not going to make it the least bit easy as he unleashed waves as well as bolts of Lightning at Kabuto. It was also when Kabuto as well as Orochimaru were able to learn just how deadly Naruto was in close combat when he revealed his strength in shattering a nearby boulder with a straight punch.

That surprised Kabuto as Naruto replicated the same strength as Tsunade, but in a much faster form as he barely evaded an attack to his side, and he heard the tearing of cloth, seeing that while he had indeed evaded that attack, the attack had enough force to tear through his clothes and even his flesh, that was when Naruto unleashed a field of pure Lightning around himself that rapidly expanded.

Kabuto managed to evade the wave, but had his foot hit by the Lightning and that slowed him down and Naruto was quick to capitalize on that as he sent a powerful uppercut to Kabuto, sending the man flying backwards. Kabuto felt like he had bee n hit on the jaw by a massive hammer and it was only through his knowledge of medical jutsu that he got his body back from both the blows of the Lightning and the blow from the blonde Genin along with his other abilities. However he spat out a small amount of blood from the blow and spoke to the blonde Genin.

"Not bad Naruto-kun....I never expected that..."

"Quit talking and start fighting!!!"

Naruto charged at Kabuto but that was when Kabuto made his move and suddenly Naruto hit only the ground with his fist and Kabuto vanished. The blonde looked about to find his quarry and deal with him, it was then that he decided to summon his Dragon Eye.

Kabuto grinned as he lashed outward, he expected his chakra scalpel to cut down Naruto and with him hidden with the Meisaigakure No Jutsu, he had the advantage, as there was no way that Naruto could see him as only those with either the Sharingan or Byakugan could see it, he was proven wrong as Naruto suddenly turned and landed a powerful back hand to send him flying backwards. The personal Medic Nin of Orochimaru was surprised by this and looked at Naruto.

(How did Naruto-kun see me?)

He got his answer as Naruto revealed his face and there was the Dragon Eye staring right at Kabuto. The Medic Nin was surprised, it resembled the Sharingan, but it was not at the same time. The blonde growled and charged at Kabuto, unleashing a hail of blows at that forced him on the defensive. He had not expected this from Naruto as his records containing information on Naruto had no mention of this ability of his.

Kabuto wondered just what was going on at the moment as he tried his chakra scalpel yet again to attack Naruto, the attack came for Naruto's arm, but suddenly Naruto evaded the strike and to Kabuto's shock, Naruto created a chakra scalpel of his own, except this one was made from pure lightning and Kabuto was hit by it at the leg.

"AAAAAUGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!"

The attack literally send waves of deadly force into Kabuto as the Lightning short circuited his nervous system as well as fry him deeply, the attack also rendered him unable to move, much to Naruto's enjoyment as he had ever intention of destroying the man.

Naruto roared and then unleashed a number of powerful attacks on Kabuto and one could hear the result as he felt the medic nin's bones break and then he quickly knocked Kabuto back from him and then decided that now was the time to deal with the pest. He summoned his powers once more as he focused his Dragon Eyes at Kabuto, looking into the man and spotted the exact spot he needed to hit.

"DRAGON KING BLOOD...RELEASE!!! FIRE!!!!"

Kabuto managed to get his body back in order but that was not enough as Naruto attacked him with a powerful kick and as he was forced back Naruto spoke.

"Here's something you are going to like you bastard...the Pervy Sage' taught me a new technique, but you know what? I have just discovered a new jutsu for myself!"

Naruto raised his hands and then created both spheres of chakra, two perfected Rasengan at the same time, making Tsunade gap in surprise as well as Shizune. Jiraiya smirked at that while Orochimaru saw it happen before him with a look of surprise. However they were going to being for an even bigger surprise as Naruto suddenly focused his energy and the tattoos glowed once more in fiery red.

"Here it is....my personal variant of the Rasengan...DUAL INFERNO RASENGAN!!!!"

Everyone watched as the two Rasengan were suddenly turning fiery red and sure enough, the two Rasengan began to be covered in deep flames. It seemed that when Naruto chose to use a particular element when using his Dragon King Blood, he could easily change his elemental affinity and therefore have an effect on the Rasengan as the massive burning spheres were unleashing massive amounts of flame around itself.

Jiraiya was impressed; he knew that it took half a week for Naruto to figure out how to make the perfect Rasengan and another half a week to create TWO Rasengan at once, he had decided to keep the technique a secret from Tsunade as a surprise. However, while he could use his own fire chakra to cover the Rasengan he could create in the same fashion as Naruto could, he had never attempted to do that with TWO Rasengan at once.

(Nice....looks like teaching him that was a good move after all.)

Tsunade looked on with shock at this, knowing that Naruto had taken only half a week to learn the Rasengan from Jiraiya, and now it seemed that he could use both hands to create two Rasengan at the very same time! But now it seemed that the blonde kid could combine his elemental chakra to create a more powerful Rasengan, it was even more shocking to see Naruto use TWO Rasengan at the same time.

(Incredible....making one Rasengan took three years for the Fourth, but in half a week, Naruto was able to make one...and now he could make TWO Rasengan....and now combine it with Fire chakra in one week?! This is unprecedented...)

Orochimaru was utterly shocked at the sight before him. Kabuto himself barely had time to react when Naruto closed the gap at high speed and then smashed both burning Rasengan into him, the personal Medic Nin of Orochimaru barely had time to ready his body for the impact and managed to survive....but he was blown literally a hundred or more feet back and the entire area that made the trench before him was incinerated in fire.

As the damage cleared Naruto looked to see that Kabuto was still alive....though barely. The man smirked as he got up despite the fact that his clothes were badly burned and he was still smoking in some areas.

"Not bad Naruto-kun....but I am not out yet."

Naruto could see that as the body cells in Kabuto's body began to heal and he spoke to Kabuto.

"So, you can regenerate dead or dying body cells eh?"

"That's right, that's why I serve as Orochimaru-sama's right hand."

"You might be able to heal, but my Dragon Eye allowed me to hit you right there where I can do the most damage, and while you're healing....I can see that you nearly used up all your chakra to do it."

Naruto was right as Kabuto suddenly fell to the ground as he was writhing in pain, the combined Rasengan attack with Fire surrounding both chakra spheres had nearly killed him as he had nearly run out of chakra to heal all those heavy injuries that he had suffered.

Naruto then decided to focus his attention directly at Orochimaru and this time the blonde Genin took out his sword staff, extending both blades outward from the handle and the blonde charged right at the man, riding a bolt of lightning right at Orochimaru. The Sannin had no time to react and it was then that they were face to face.

Orochimaru was stunned to see the changes in Naruto's eyes as he did his best to avoid the powerful attacks of the now enraged Dragon Ascendant. The snake summoning Sannin couldn't help but be shocked at the sight of Naruto's now transformed eyes, they resembled the Sharingan but unlike the Sharingan, there were five tomoe there that he was unable to recognize, the slit was there and instead of being red, the eyes were still blue, yet radiated power, the eyes of the blonde ninja wielding the double sword staff sent chills down his spine as he moved away at that moment, something that he had never felt before in his many years as a ninja.

Orochimaru managed to remain focused on the battle as he evaded Naruto's attacks, and he then decided that maybe he could get the advantage by goading Naruto into making a mistake.

"You are strong Naruto-kun, but not yet enough to be beat me or surpass Sasuke-kun."

"Why don't you stop talking and start fighting?!"

Orochimaru then replied as he managed to land a kick at Naruto, it felt like hitting a wall, but the snake Sannin unleashed a sword from his mouth at Naruto, the blonde grabbed it with his free and crushed the sword that turned into a snake.

"Do you intent to kill me for killing my former sensei? He was old and weak, to think he would be Hokage again after he should have retired...."

Naruto roared out in even greater anger at that insult to Sarutobi's memory as he unleashed massive gout of fire right at Orochimaru point blank.

"DIE!!!!!!"

Orochimaru managed to get away and unleashed his Kusanagi right and Naruto but the blonde ninja evaded quickly the attack and he decided to unleash his attention to his former team mates instead. He aimed his Kusanagi right at Jiraiya who he could tell was still unable to use his chakra well due to the drug that Tsunade used on him. He decided to finish them off, but Naruto spotted the attack.

He charged at both his former teammates and attacked with his sword, intent in finishing them off, but then Naruto appeared and he was shocked as the Kusanagi didn't even scratch the kid's skin or even pierce him, The blow was right at Naruto's heart area, a fatal attack that would mean a quick death that not even Tsunade's skills in medical jutsu could stop, but somehow, the Kusanagi couldn't cut deep into his body.

Naruto swatted the Kusanagi aside and quickly attacked Orochimaru who was forced to use some of his own techniques to stop Naruto, but with his arms no longer able to work effectively to use any jutsu, he had to evade as best he could, he used his own surgery and the experiments he did on his own body to attack with his extending neck to fire the Kusanagi again.

Naruto dodged the attack well enough and lashed out with a powerful kick to send Orochimaru back a fair distance from him, all the while disgusted at Orochimaru's actions.

"You sick freak! I am going to kill you!!!"

"Orochimaru-sama!"

Kabuto who managed to get himself to his feet despite the massive blast of the double Fire Storm Rasengan closed in and tried to attack Naruto using his medical jutsu in the form of the chakra scalpel once more, the blonde quickly evaded the attack at high speed and as soon as he dodged Kabuto's attack he lashed out with a powerful kick that slammed hard into Kabuto's body, sending the man flying backwards while coughing out a gout of his own blood at the impact of Naruto's attack, further adding more injury to him.

However, Orochimaru chose this moment to attack with a wave of snakes from his mouth, in a second, all the snakes exposed blades from their mouths, showing their dark intent to spear Naruto dead.

Naruto however was not deterred as the attack came right at him and he then tried a trick that he had yet to try in battle. He gathered the energy and air into his mouth and thought of it being arctic cold, enough to literally freeze the very air around it. As soon as he felt the energy ready he unleashed a massive gust of wind that literally froze the ground before him, catching Kabuto and Orochimaru off guard as the snakes were easily frozen solid.

Jiraiya and Tsunade looked on in surprise and so did Shizune as Naruto roared at Orochimaru and Kabuto and then unleashed a powerful blast of fire from his hand as his tattoos were now fiery red as the flames instantly reduced the snakes into nothing but ruined corpses. Naruto then took out his sword staff, extended both blades and then spun his newly revealed weapon and attacked Orochimaru who was forced to fight with his own Kusanagi sword and it was then that Naruto showed his own sword skills once more.

Orochimaru attempted to stab Naruto straight in the heart but Naruto quickly spun his weapon, the lower blade struck the Kusanagi and knocked it aside easily as Naruto charged in with a shoulder ram, forcing Orochimaru backward and he moved back and then unleashed another wall of snakes as Naruto began to charge, the blonde roared out as he spun his weapon into the snakes, the snakes tried to bite Naruto but Naruto's spinning sword staff cut them all down before they could really become a major threat to the blonde ninja, Orochimaru tried to move into the wall to attack Naruto at a much better angle and as soon as he found it via the sight of his snakes he charged, intent to stab Naruto in the back, but to his shock, Naruto's sword staff came right at him before he could react.

(WHAT?!)

SLISH!!!!

"EXPLOSION!!!!"

The snakes that surrounded Naruto erupted outward, being shredded by a massive blast of wind as Orochimaru was flying backward with Naruto's sword staff in his stomach, the snake summoning Sannin looked to see Naruto before him with the same unknown eyes as before. Somehow these eyes had allowed the blonde ninja Genin to see him attacking him from behind and impale him with his sword staff.

As soon as Naruto looked at Orochimaru, the snake Sannin grinned as he looked to see the sword staff sticking from his chest, he might be grinning, but he was using that grin to hide the pain of Naruto's unexpected attack. He reached for the weapon using a snake from his mouth and pulled it out and looked at the sword staff carefully, it was a different weapon, something that he had never seen before in his life and yet Naruto seemed very comfortable using the weapon itself. He tossed the weapon away with his still working hands despite the pain and then Naruto created a whip of flame that caught the weapon and brought it right back to him, surprising Orochimaru even more.

(This power....what is it? I must know more about this....if I can combine it with Sasuke-kun's Sharingan....then I shall become a true immortal!!!)

"Not bad Naruto-kun, you are showing a lot more power than i expected."

Naruto growled and replied as he spun his sword staff and replied.

"All you care about is power....no matter how many people you had to kill, all you wanted was power!!! Well it ends here!!!!"

Naruto leaped at Orochimaru and spun his weapon at full speed, intent on cutting Orochimaru into the ground and leaving him as a corpse, the blonde attacked and tore a massive blow tear into the soil that Orochimaru once stood in as the Sannin tried to escape. Emphasis on the word tried as Naruto unleashed a powerful whip of flame and caught him by the feet and Naruto roared out as he gripped the flaming whip and began to spin Orochimaru around with greater speed and then smashing Orochimaru around the area, unleashing clouds of dust and creating large holes in the ground with each devastating impact. He then tosses Orochimaru away as the snake summoning Sannin got back to his feet.

Naruto wasted no time as he finally decided to try using another element and transformed his tattoos once more to fit the battle field, he was currently using Fire and then he decided to try the next one.

"DRAGON KING BLOOD...RELEASE!!!! EARTH!!!!"

The tattoos changed form and colour and as soon as he was in the clear, the blonde charged at Orochimaru and then moved his hand forward and then a wave of pure earth rose up and headed in his direction as he leaped and rode it like a surfer, much to Orochimaru and Kabuto's surprise as well as that of the others as Naruto moved on the wave with no trouble and then he leaped into the air and made several grabbing motions with his free hand. The result was a massive wave of hands coming out of the wave of Earth, all grabbing for Orochimaru

Naruto growled even more, intent on killing Orochimaru, but he quickly stopped as he turned to check on the two other Sannin, seeing Tsunade recovering from the attacks Kabuto gave her, and Jiraiya still fighting the effects of the drug, Naruto knew that he had to help them in some fashion as a sharp biting pain in his eyes told him that his Dragon Eye was beginning to recede.

(Damn it....I need to stop before the pain...)

Naruto quickly moved back and quickly decided to heal both Jiraiya and Tsunade, it was going to be the first time he would use the technique that his sensei in the Ascendant arts, but since he was unable to fully master the level of control of the elements that Fenrix did, he would have to use the same technique that he had used on Neji, Fenrix had taught him the basics and it would help a great deal for him to use at the moment. As soon as he placed away his weapon, retracting both blades, he looked at both Jiraiya and Tsunade and spoke.

"I'm running low....and my Dragon Eye is hitting the end of it's limit, I guess you guys will have to do it. I'll deal with the situation; mind you....this is going to be a first for me."

"KAGE BUSHIN NO JUTSU!!!!"

The blonde had several Kage Bushin with him and then used the same training shown to him but Fenrix began to gather the energy needed as the rest of his Kage Bushin had taken their different tattoo transformation s. The others watched in surprise as Naruto gathered the energy and it was so intense that despite the distance, Kabuto was able to feel it.

(So much energy....healing energy, it's unlike anything I have ever seen or felt before....where has he learned this?!)

Orochimaru himself felt the power, while medical jutsu was well known the technique that Fenrix taught Naruto was not, this was the very first time in Orochimaru's mind that anyone had controlled this level of chakra before. He could see that Fire, Earth, Water, Wind, and Lightning being transformed into potent life energy by both the real Naruto and his Kage Bushin. It was unreal.

For Naruto the strain was too much as he tried his best to serve as the main focus point of the ten Kage Bushin's respective powers as they focused their energies the way Fenrix had explained, Naruto had to use all of his training to make all the energies work in sync. He pushed himself to the limit and managed to complete it and imbued the two spheres that resembled the Rasengan but glowed deep silver and gold because of his Dragon King Blood into both Tsunade and Jiraiya.

The result was immediate as Jiraiya felt his body heal rapidly as well as feeling a great increase of vitality, strength, and more, he had never felt like this in years. The same was true for Tsunade, she felt her body fully heal as well as her chakra seemed to sky rocket, she felt as if reborn somehow. They looked at Naruto who's Kage Bushin disappeared and o their shock they saw him collapse and there was blood coming from his mouth and nose.

Tsunade was horrified and despite her fear of blood coming back she placed it aside and checked Naruto, she found that the effort of doing the Elemental Life Force technique as well as using the Dragon Eye had weakened Naruto internally and while he was slowly recovering, he was badly injured, without a second thought she began to heal him, putting all her knowledge into the forefront. This made Naruto open his now normal eyes weakly and he spoke.

"You're....trying to save me? Why is that?'

"Because of what you said you annoying kid..."

"Huh?"

"You said if I ever sided with Orochimaru....I would be betraying the dreams of everyone in Konoha....and that I don't deserve to protect those dreams...."

Naruto winced in pain and replied.

"Yeah....about that....I'm sorry about....that, I should have tried to...."

"No....you were right, I knew that you were right. I would have betrayed everyone, including my little brother and my fiancé if I helped Orochimaru, and they could never forgive me."

"So that means?"

"I'm taking the position of Hokage....and next time, as soon as I get my strength back....I want a rematch."

Naruto smiled a bit at that and nodded.

"Sure....I need to sleep."

Tsunade could tell that he would be fine at that moment as his body was already mending well. She looked at Shizune who was utterly relieved at not just her recovery and her now no longer present fear of blood. Tsunade turned to Jiraiya and nodded.

"You and I have some unfinished business with someone Jiraiya."

Jiraiya nodded at that and the two Sannin faced their former comrade as Kabuto....who managed to recover a bit more was now at his master's side.

Orochimaru saw that he had no choice but to retreat, there was no way he could beat both Jiraiya and Tsunade now that they were fully healed and seemingly at full strength. So he did something that he never wanted to do....retreat. He made the jutsu with Kabuto in tow and they were soon well on their way.

"Not this time Jiraiya, Tsunade, I will be back....you might have not agreed to heal my arms, but I will find my way yet, and I will have my revenge on you and all of Konoha, mark my words."

As he and Kabuto left, the snake summoning Sannin looked at the unconscious Naruto and vowed to find the answers to his power.

Once they were sure about him not coming back, Tsunade and Jiraiya decided to go back to town and get some rest.

--------

The next day....

As the group began to get ready to leave the town, it was then that Tsunade thought about all that happened to her this past week. She had felt something left from her shoulders, apart from her now lost fear of blood, it was also the fact that she had honoured Dan and Nawaki by not siding with Orochimaru as well as her grandfather and granduncle. But while she knew she did the right thing, she was still sad to never get the chance to hold Dan and Nawaki again.

That line of thought was not lost to everyone, and Naruto most of all.

Naruto looked at Tsunade who was currently deep in thought about things, after he had been told by Shizune about the offer given to her by Orochimaru to resurrect her loved ones, he couldn't help but feel a good measure of sympathy for Tsunade, and it was then that he decided to try doing the one thing his sensei Fenrix told him not to do unless he was ready for it. As they were out of town and near a field, he thought over the options and decided to go ahead with it.

"Hey Pervy Sage, hold up."

Jiraiya turned and Tsunade couldn't help but smirk a bit at the way Naruto called Jiraiya, oh Jiraiya had been called a load of names in the past for his perverted nature and actions, but Pervy Sage was a new one in her book.

Jiraiya sighed as both Tsunade and Shizune smirked a bit and looked at Naruto.

"What is it?"

Naruto scratched his head and decided to speak.

"You know that technique I used on you and Tsunade-san...well, I kind of forgot to tell you two things. The first is that it has a slight chance to make one affected by it younger, and I'm not talking about just feeling younger....but actually younger."

The two looked at one another at that and they could tell that Naruto was not kidding to say the least, it was then that Tsunade was the first to speak.

"Are you serious Naruto?"

"Oh yeah, I'm dead serious Tsunade-san, I'd say that you and the Pervy sage are about half your past age now. So that means that you really are 25 years old now."

Jiraiya grinned while Tsunade was shocked at the implications, to know that Naruto could actually have that level of ability was astounding to say the very least. To think he could have the power to reverse a person's age to youth was certainly something she had never expected of him.

"There's still the other part of it and this is very serious."

Jiraiya could tell that this was serious and looked at Naruto.

"All right....what's the other one?"

Naruto sighed and replied.

"The ability can bring a recently deceased person back to life as long as they are not in some sort of pact with the god of Death, so there is no way I can bring the Old Man back to life, even if I wanted to However, there is another variant that Fenrix-sensei told me about....and instead of creating powerful healing energy through the five elements....it could create a living body and with a special ritual....bring a living soul back to life."

That stunned the group into silence....Naruto knew that was going to happen as he looked at the stunned pair of now young again Sannin. It was Shizune who then spoke to him, she too was utterly shocked by the news and the implications of his statement, not that he could blame any of them for the reaction they had..

"You mean....you can bring someone back from the dead Naruto-kun?!"

"Yeah....and it's not like that Snake Summoning bastard's Kinjutsu either....it's different, and I want to try it before we go....I already have some people in mind."

The others had no idea what Naruto had in mind but he spoke to them all.

"I honestly don't know if I am up to this but there's only one way to find out, but I need both Tsunade and Shizune to help me."

The two wondered what was going on and seeing that Naruto was dead serious about this they waited and Naruto began to chant the spell and it was not long before a glowing amount of energy surrounded him and then began to expand outward and then create a glowing sphere that surrounded him and the two women in question, Naruto however assured them that while this was his first time he could tell that he was doing all right. As soon as the last part of the spell was done, the glowing liquid became opaque and covered the trio, all Jiraiya could do was wait at the moment.

However he did wonder what was going on and just who did Naruto have in mind to bring back from the dead.

--------

In the realm of the After Life...

It was not long before the two women in question found themselves in a near colourless environment and they were surprised by this and then they saw Naruto there before them and it was Tsunade to who asked the question.

"Where are we Naruto-kun?"

"This is the Spirit Realm, the sphere that surrounded us is a gateway into it, now we wait, supposedly this is where the Watcher is going to come here to see to who has died."

Sure enough, a robed and hooded form appeared before the trio, there were strange symbols on his clothes and it spoke in a hollow but neutral voice, showing that death was impartial in every form.

"_A Dragon Ascendant, it has been a very long time since one of your kind has entered the realm of the dead, what brings you here?"_

Naruto spoke then to the Watcher.

"I came here to ask for the chance to seek out the souls of two people, the uncle of Shizune and the fiancé of Tsunade, as well as the young brother of Tsunade."

The Watcher looked at Shizune and Tsunade, the two women couldn't help but feel that this was utterly different from what they expected to be death, it wasn't that the Watcher was evil, far from it, there was no evil that they could feel, no good, it seemed to be just plain different, the Watcher seemed to merely observe them and then it spoke to the two of them.

"_You are Tsunade Senju of the Senju Clan, eldest sister of Nawaki Senju and also the fiancée of Dan, and the one next to you is Shizune, Dan's niece. Your loved ones spoke well of you in the realm of heaven, something that they deserve for all their efforts as well as their own beliefs, they shall come forth as asked by the Ascendant."_

Sure enough a portal opened before them and there was a beautiful land before them and the three walked into the area and sure enough they found themselves in what one could call paradise at first glance, there were trees, hills, mountains, lakes, rivers, hills, and mountains as well, there was a massive city nearby and there seemed to be people milling there. It was then that the three were able to see two people approaching. The two people who arrived in the scene were easy enough to recognize, one was a young kid who resembled Naruto in a number of ways, while the other had deep silver hair. The two arrived and both were surprised to see Naruto, Tsunade, and Shizune, and for good reason as well for they had not seen them for a very long time.

"Tsunade?"

"Big sis?"

Tsunade looked at the two and couldn't speak for a second, she moved closer and finally as she was before them she reached out and touched them, she could feel them for real and the blonde Sannin couldn't help but react in a very natural fashion. She hugged them both.

The Watcher looked on silently, the being's impassive face unchanging despite the tender scene before it as Tsunade was reunited with her loved ones once more. It had seen things like this before so it was not surprised in the least that it was happening once more.

Naruto looked on with a smile on his face despite his exhaustion, he had managed the spell and now it seemed to be all right as he looked at the blonde woman before him as well as Shizune who was crying as well at the sight...

Of Tsunade hugging both Dan and Nawaki...

The blonde Sannin was crying her heart out as she held her loved ones again, even if they were in the Realm of the After Life they felt so real, it drove her mind to try and figure out how this was possible. They were dead, yet they felt solid, alive, she could feel their breath on her skin, their heart beats....everything. It drove the blonde Sannin to tears as she held them close to her. As she moved away, Nawaki spoke to Tsunade marvelling at how much she had changed since she had last seen her.

"Wow big sis! You've grown so much!!!"

Dan nodded with Nawaki and spoke to his former fiancé.

"You have changed Tsunade....but still as beautiful as ever."

"Dan....Nawaki....are you really here?"

Dan nodded as he replied

"We are allowed to have our original bodies returned here in this part of the Realm of the Dead, but only as long as the Watcher allows it. So we are real here as you and Shizune as well....speaking of which."

Dan turned to face Shizune as she walked over to her uncle with wide eyes.

"U-Uncle Dan...."

Dan smiled as he touched Shizune's face and spoke to her.

"You've grown Shizune, I am sorry I never got to see you grow up."

The reunion was everything Tsunade hoped for as she looked at the two people who meant a great deal to her, to feel them in her arms, to hear them, to see them. It was incredible to behold and feel. She turned to Naruto who was still in his tattoo form and he was smiling at her and Shizune. She couldn't believe the power Naruto had put into allowing this to happen....all for her to meet her loved ones again and not in the way that Orochimaru would have done it. She finally managed to say the words that were in her throat at this moment.

"Thank you..."

Naruto nodded and replied.

"You're welcome....but it's not over yet."

The Watcher turned to Naruto and spoke, already aware of the reason behind this meeting.

"_You seek to bring them to life Ascendant?"_

Naruto turned to face the Watcher and knew that what he was going to ask the ancient spirit warden was something that his sensei in the Ascendant arts told him he must only attempt if the situation truly called for it, but as long as Tsunade was given the happiness she deserved as well as being given a chance to make her life anew, he was willing to take the risks with his chosen decision.

"Yes."

"_Know that your requests are not to be taken lightly, Dan and Nawaki's souls have already been allowed into the fields of Heaven and they have been dead for nearly three decades, you're powers as they are now, restrained by the bracers are not enough to bring them back to full life."_

"What if I remove them?"

"_Then your full power shall be enough to ensure their resurrection, yet you know that there is a price, even for one of your level of power Ascendant....do you know the risks?"_

"Yes I do."

Tsunade then stepped in and spoke.

"Wait a minute...what is going on here?"

Naruto turned and replied.

"I plan to bring both Dan and Nawaki back to life and not in the same fashion as that of that snake summoning bastard. But at the level I am now, I can't bring them completely back to life in full so I have to remove the bracers that limit my powers, but my sensei told me that doing so at my level...."

Tsunade didn't like the sound of that and she wanted to know more, but that was when Dan spoke to answer his beloved's question in her mind, as he was now in the realm of the After Life, Dan had been able to learn much from his time there, even if it had been thirty years since he last set foot on the earth of his land, time was of no consequence to the spirits of the dead. So he had plenty of time to study on the past.

"If Naruto-kun does that spell at his current level of power....he will be severely weakened and a good portion of his powers would be lost, it would take many months or even years for him to recover..."

Tsunade was surprised by this and looked at Naruto to see if he was being serious about this and the blonde Genin nodded, showing that he was serious and his next words told the blonde Sannin the story.

"I'll do it....if it will make Tsunade-san happy then I will sacrifice that much power to bring them back to life. Watcher, can you remove the bracers?"

"_Indeed I can, a portion of your Ascendant powers to return the souls of Dan and Nawaki back to the realm of the living, that is the bargain....prepare yourself."_

The robed Watcher made it's way towards Naruto who offered both his arms to the spectral being who reached out to the locking mechanisms that held the bracers closed, it seemed that Naruto was about to make the great sacrifice for the happiness of Tsunade, but then as the Watcher moved to seal the bargain, she moved forward and blocked the watcher from approaching Naruto.

"No!"

The Watcher stopped and spoke to the blonde Sannin.

"_Why do you stand in my way Tsunade Senju? Is it not your wish to be able to be with your loved ones again?"_

Naruto himself was quite surprised at this as he looked at Tsunade as he spoke.

"What are you doing Tsunade-san? Don't you want the chance to be with your brother and fiancé again? To begin life anew as well as have the family you wanted years before? I can do that for you here and now..."

"I do....I want nothing more than to be with Nawaki again, to be able to watch over him and teach him all I can so he could be a great ninja. I want to be with Dan to I could be happy to be able to have children again, to be with the man I loved..."

Tsunade looked at both Dan and Nawaki as tears were in her eyes, Naruto saw this as well, further confusing him, if she wanted this so badly, then why was she stopping him from making the bargain with the Watcher.

"Then why are you stopping me from doing this?"

Tsunade turned, showing Naruto a radiant smile with her tears as she spoke to the blonde Genin.

"Because....because you've done so much for me already Naruto-kun, you've given me back the fire to be able to live again, to recall the dreams that both Dan and Nawaki gave their lives for as well as what the title of Hokage meant to them. You've freed me from my fears and you've given me the chance to be able to hold Dan and Nawaki again."

"You've gone and did all this for me....with your powers and your Kekkai Genkai as well, I can't have you suffer and lose your chance to be the best ninja of Konoha you can become if you do this. You will become a far greater Hokage than anyone....even more than my grandfather when he was Hokage as well as my uncle, and even Sarutobi-sensei. You've given me hope in the future, something I lost along with my faith in the title of Hokage....and I want you to grow and reach your true potential to be a true Hokage. That's why....even if it hurts me to not be with Dan and Nawaki again....I can't let you sacrifice yourself for my sake...being able to make peace with my past, and to hold them one last time is enough for me."

Naruto didn't know what to say at this point; he could tell that Tsunade meant every word she said, but still he wanted to do something to make Tsunade truly happy, it was then that he had an idea.

"Tsunade-san....thank you for those words, but I must at least do something for you, let me do this one thing for you and it will be all right."

Tsunade had no idea what Naruto intended to do, but despite her misgivings, she felt that she should allow it and stepped aside as the Watcher waited. Naruto then spoke to the ageless spirit warden.

"Watcher, I wish to change my deal, I wish to make a new deal involving the souls of Dan and Nawaki."

"_I am listening."_

"Is it possible to allow them to be allowed to return in the land of the living for a short time, to be with Tsunade for that time before they are allowed to be returned back to the realm of the dead?"

The Watcher looked at both Dan and Nawaki as they awaited it's judgement on the matter placed before it, the Watcher then turned to Naruto as well as Tsunade and Shizune as it spoke out it's decision.

"_it can be done as it is within your power Ascendant, however, Dan and Nawaki may only be within the realm of the living for a week, once that time has passed, then they must return to the Realm of the Dead, they shall have all the abilities of their once living bodies for that time, and when it ends they shall be allowed to return to their spirit forms to return to the Realm. Is that enough for you Ascendant?"_

Naruto smiled and Tsunade as well as Shizune were stunned. Even if it was for only one week, Dan and Nawaki were going to be allowed to live again. The blonde Ascendant spoke then to the Watcher.

"It is, let's do it."

--------

Jiraiya watched the sphere of glowing liquid where Naruto as well as Tsunade and Shizune were before. He was told by Naruto what this spell was and he couldn't believe the power coming from it, it had been nearly a full three minutes since Naruto completed the spell, all he could do was wait and wonder what was going on in there.

It was then that the sphere faded away and there was Naruto, along with Tsunade and Shizune....but the three were joined by two new figures....both he was quick to recognize.

"DAN?! NAWAKI?!"

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The next few days were hectic as they decided to travel back to Konoha, all the while Tsunade was doing all she could to treasure the moment. After all, she was with the two men who were of great importance in her life, her only brother and her fiancé, it hurt like mad to know that they were only going to be a week with her, but Tsunade was not going to let that stop her from enjoying the moments she would have with them. Shizune herself also was doing all she could enjoy the time with her uncle….and all this was being seen by both Naruto and Jiraiya.

Dan and Nawaki were very much living beings in all senses, the very second they were allowed back into the mortal world in their new though temporary bodies, they felt great hunger and thirst, Tsunade wasted no time ordering as much food and drink as she could in order to make them feel full and happy, both men amazingly ate a lot, no doubt due to the fact that in the spirit realm, hunger and thirst was not an issue for anyone there. Shizune normally would have tried to convince Tsunade not to spend so much, but in this case, she was going to let it slide, and it helped that both Naruto and Jiraiya were more than willing to lend some of their own money to help with the cause as she herself didn't have much with her.

Dan and Nawaki were amazed at how much things had changed ever since their days while they were still with the living, Nawaki and Naruto quickly became fast friends and despite Naruto being physically older than Nawaki, one had to be blind and dense not to see that they were almost like twin brothers, something that made Tsunade happy as well. The blonde Sannin spent as much time as she could with all of them devoting time to both Dan and Nawaki, and Nawaki loved it, he had missed his sister deeply and it was nice to see her happy again. Tsunade bought Nawaki what she could get to make him smile, as well as spend time with him and it made her happy that Nawaki had a friend in Naruto as well.

As for Dan, she wanted to be with him in private times walking and doing all the things they used to do before he was killed in the war that eventually led to her fear of blood. Dan was shocked at finding out what she had been doing for the past years as well as hearing how Orochimaru had tried to bribe her with having them brought back to life using a forbidden jutsu. He had been happy that she had not agreed to it and told her so himself, making Tsunade happier than ever.

Dan also spoke to Jiraiya about something important, though he asked that the white haired Sannin not tell Tsunade about their discussion until the time was right. Jiraiya agreed and it seemed that the discussion was enough to help him overcome the past dislike or hatred for Dan. The next few days were heaven to Tsunade and when the time came to let them return, she had to admit that it hurt a bit, but knowing that they were in heaven was more than enough to make it easier.

On the appointed day, Naruto and Shizune decided to leave the four be, though Dan bade his niece a tearful farewell before being with Tsunade and Nawaki as well as Jiraiya, the two soon to depart spirits shared their farewells with Tsunade and told her that they were proud of her and told her to live for the future and to protect the village not just for their own dreams but for others as well. The two began to glow and their bodies began to break down into light and the two gave Tsunade one last smile until they became nothing more than energy.

As both of them faded away, Jiraiya stepped forward to Tsunade, unsure of how she would react to him, he placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her as best he could, he doubted she would like it, but he did it anyway.

"Tsunade….you going to be all right?"

Tsunade sobbed a bit more as she looked at the spot where Dan and Nawaki were before the returned to heaven, but she nodded to Jiraiya.

"I'm fine….I am Jiraiya…"

Jiraiya nodded and then looked at Tsunade as she raised her face, still wet with tears, but instead of being sad or angry that she was no longer able to see Dan and Nawaki again for a long time, she was happy, she had a smile on her face and as she wiped her face Jiraiya spoke to her.

"You look happy…"

"I am, at least I know that Dan and Nawaki are in heaven, and they are going to be all right."

Jiraiya nodded at that, to see Tsunade finally happy was worth it, but just as he was about to move his hand away, Tsunade placed her hand there as well, stopping him cold as she looked at him with a smile.

"By the way Jiraiya…."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for being here."

Jiraiya was surprised, that was the first time Tsunade thanked him for something, they used to argue and fight a lot growing up after all, so the feeling of Tsunade thanking him was different… it felt….good. He smiled at that and replied.

"You're welcome Tsunade."

"Yeah, but I doubt you'd be calling me that anymore, I guess you can call me the new Hokage of Konoha now. Come on, we still have to get to Konoha. And one more thing…"

"Yeah, what is it Hokage?'

"I think we need to share a drink when we get back. That might very well be the last drink I'll get before I get swamped with paper work."

The two Sannin moved on to join the waiting pair of Naruto and Shizune as well as Ton-ton and off they went to finish their trip back to Konoha.

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To be continued…

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Author's notes:

Now that wraps up this number well enough. Now that was unexpected as Dan and Nawaki have been given a chance to return to the land of the living, now I know most people would have wanted me to make it permanent, but keep in mind that if I did that, a vast portion of Naruto's inherent powers would be lost and he would be badly crippled. Besides, while it was only for seven days, at least Tsunade got to make peace with her past and got to be with her loved ones who were brought back to life by Naruto temporarily.

As for the next chapter, we get to see Naruto's reaction to finding out that he has three prospective brides. One who has a deep crush for him ever since they were younger and back in the Academy. Another who is the elder sister of his new friend Gaara, who he now hopes is in better straits than last time. And the last happens to be the sister of his former rival Kiba who is not quite happy with the news that his mother wants to have her be part of his clan.

This might take a bit longer than most as this is going to be focusing on how Naruto deals with being a clan head as well as getting to know his potential partners in leading his clan, of course it's not going to be easy and there is the fact that he will have to tell them about his other secret of being a Jinchuuriki. How Hinata and Hana will handle it is going to be good, although Temari would have a slightly easier time considering that her brother Gaara is like Naruto as well.

Of course, the floor is open for any more female additions to Naruto's new clan, but keep in mind that Tsunade is not going to be in it since this is a different story format. And I do have other plans for Tsunade, sure she would be a good addition with her abilities and the Senju name, but I have a much different plan in mind.

There will be a few chapters of that plus other things I will release soon enough, until we get to the part where Sasuke decides to up the ante and pick a fight with Naruto on who is better between the two of them.

How that will turn out is my call, but feel free to send ideas my way when you can, but please make sure that they are not too many.


	9. Chapter 9

Naruto Dragon Ascendant

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and all related characters, toys, media....well you get the idea right?

Chapter 8

Discovery and Introductions...

( ): Thoughts

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In Konoha...

"Man it feels good to be home!!!!"

Naruto rushed ahead into Konoha while Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shizune, and Ton-ton walked behind him, the hyperactive blonde was eager to finally have some delicious ramen to feast on while the others couldn't help but look at his antics. Shizune smiled and giggled a bit while looking at the energetic blonde. As soon as she was done laughing a bit she replied.

"For all his ability as well as his potential....Naruto-kun is still like a kid."

Tsunade had to agree, but decided to let Naruto be, besides she had work to do at the moment. She looked at the village and sighed, the place certainly was still a mess and under construction at the moment but she could still see the old places that were there, along with the old home that she used to share with Nawaki. She sighed at the memories and spoke to Jiraiya.

"Let's get going, I need to take a look at these cases."

"Right..."

As the others headed off to do their work it was then that word of Tsunade's return hit the streets of Konoha, it was something that sparked a great deal of discussion among the people as while it had been true that Tsunade had not been seen in the streets of Konoha for nearly three decades ever since she chose to exile herself after Dan's death. The ninja who knew Tsunade were surprised that she was there among them at the moment while she made her way to the Hokage Tower.

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In the Ichiraku Ramen stand...

"Hey Old Man Teuchi!!!"

Teuchi turned and so did Ayame and they smiled happily as they saw their number one customer coming towards them. Ayame was happy to see Naruto after he had been gone for a week or so.

"Naruto-kun! It's nice to see you again!"

Naruto smiled and ordered some beef ramen and he was eager to eat as much as he could manage at the moment. He knew that until Tsunade settled into being the Hokage, she would need to be in the office to take care of any matters that needed her direct attention. He wanted her to heal Kakashi, Lee, and Sasuke as soon as she could. Tsunade promised to take care of that as soon as she got things in order.

It was not what he had in mind but he accepted her decision in the matter for the time being. It was then he got the order he asked for and began to chow down, and making his enjoyment obvious to both Teuchi and Ayame, it was then that Ayame spoke to him while he was happily eating his ramen.

"Naruto-kun, I heard that you are head of your own clan now. Is that true?"

"Yep, it's kind of cool being the head of your own clan, but I really don't know much about that sort of thing."

Teuchi nodded as he made another order for Naruto as he knew for a certainty that Naruto was not going to be content with only one bowl of ramen. As he cooked the next set, he gave it to Naruto who was more than happy for having another round of ramen to enjoy and it was then that the ramen stall owner spoke to Naruto.

"So I guess that means you'd have to be married in order to make the clan grow right?"

Naruto blushed at that as he had just set his bowl down and began to twiddle his fingers at that and that action was not lost to the father and daughter pair, Ayame then smiled and spoke to Naruto in an effort to cheer her favourite youngster up.

"You really don't have to worry too much about things Naruto-kun, I might not be familiar with the laws we have surrounding clans and all, but you are the head so you can reject the idea of marriage right?"

Naruto thought about it, but then thought about what Fenrix told him about leading a clan, adoption can only go so far and he needed to have blood related members in his clan in order for the clan to prosper and grow. He had a lot think about at the moment and he hoped that he would have enough time to come to a much more serious and proper decision on how to best lead his clan and to make it grow, at least he was going to have some good help on how to lead a clan. That got him to wondering just how things were back in his home fortress.

"I guess...but I can think about all that later....right now it's time to eat!"

Teuchi smiled at that as Naruto continued to eat his ramen while Ayame smiled at their most recognized customer and it was then that the blonde Genin had finished over a dozen bowls this day, not bad, though nowhere near the amounts he would normally eat. As soon as he had eaten a large amount of ramen, they were doubly happy when Naruto paid with a good amount of money from his own wallet as well.

With his stomach full, the blonde Genin decided to drop by his home to see just how things were there at the moment.

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In the Hokage Tower...

Tsunade sighed as she looked at the mountain power paper work that she had now inherited from her former sensei and wished that she didn't have to deal with all this at the moment, but seeing as this was her new tasks, she knew that she had to get to work, it was then that Shizune opened the door and spoke to her.

"Tsunade-sama, you have some company."

"Who is it?"

"Homura-sama and Kohane-sama."

Sure enough the two elders of the Council walked into the office, much to Tsunade's slowly growing headache. While she knew that both of them were the team mates of her sensei in years past, she knew that they were not very happy with the idea of her being in the seat of Hokage and she had a feeling that while the two of them had the best interests of Konoha in mind, they were not going to be easy to get along with since they were a bit more militant than most.

Homura was the first to speak to Tsunade.

"It is good to see you here Tsunade-hime. I see that Jiraiya and Naruto had succeeded in convincing you to take the place of Hokage."

Tsunade nodded at that and then spoke to the two elders.

"They did pretty well at that regard, anyhow, I have quite a lot of work to catch up on...."

"We are aware of that but there is a very serious matter than will need your attention before you take to the other parts of your duties as Hokage Tsunade-hime."

"And that matter being what?"

Kohane then presented a document to Tsunade and the blonde Sannin's lazy look was changed to something of increased interest as she looked it over. She was already aware of the fact that Naruto was head of his own clan and would be required to have a wife as well as mothers to ensure the growth of the clan. However, this was certainly unexpected to say the very least, she looked the document over very carefully and seeing that this was not a forgery, she looked at both Homura and Kohane.

"Is this authentic?"

"Yes, Hiashi Hyuuga and his family have already agreed with the plan as well as Tsume of the Inuzuka Clan is willing to go through it. We have to wait for Suna' correspondence but we have no doubt that they are sincere in this situation."

Tsunade couldn't help but have some level of difficulty in trying to keep her smile from appearing at the moment as she read the document; she might have been out of touch from Konoha during her exile, but she was able to hear a bit every now and then. As the last of the Senju Clan, one of the founding clans of Konoha, she was well aware that a newly starting clan needed to either have married members or adopted ones. However she was not quite keen on the idea of Naruto consummating such marriages at so young a life.

However, despite her reservations on the matter, Tsunade knew that as soon as Naruto graduated from the Academy and became a Genin, he was already an adult by the rules of the ninja world and therefore had to be ready to take the responsibilities that came with them. She couldn't help but wonder if Naruto was already aware of this one requirement and was trying her best not to picture out his reaction to the news.

It was then that Jiraiya showed up and was about to bid farewell to everyone when Tsunade gave the document for him to read, the very second Jiraiya looked at the document and understood all the details in it, he couldn't help but smirk somewhat.

Tsunade then decided to get to work on this matter as soon as possible and spoke to the women in question.

"Has Hinata Hyuuga, Hana Inuzuka, and Temari agreed to this matter?"

Homura sighed and so did Kohane, and the elderly woman then spoke to their new Hokage.

"Why is it you want to know that Tsunade-hime? The decision was made by their respective elders, so it would be something that should not be discussed."

"While that is true, you all no doubt know about Naruto's status as a Jinchuuriki? If he is to be married, shouldn't his chosen bride be made aware of his unique status first to show how willing they are in marrying into the clan?"

Kohane had agree that Tsunade did have a point there, considering that Naruto was a Jinchuuriki and of the Kyuubi No Kitsune no less, it would be best that the ones who were going to be part of the clan were made aware of Naruto's inner secret, though of course, it would mean that they would have to break the law made by Sarutobi concerning the people not talking about the Kyuubi and the history surrounding it.

"There is truth there Tsunade-hime, but it would mean that if they were to know about Naruto's secret, then it would be breaking the law left behind by the Third Hokage."

Tsunade was aware of the law after all and knew that it would be broken once these three were informed of the truth concerning Naruto, however, she knew that it had to be told so that there would be no hanging secrets in the marriage that would compromise the clan in any fashion, that much she knew for a fact as there was report of more than one secret breaking up what could be considered a good marriage.

Besides, as the new Hokage she could have the chance to help remedy the situation for Naruto as she was in a position that could help him make the transition from being hated as the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi to a respected clan head as well as a ninja who could be a great hero and potential Hokage in the near future.

"Be that as it may, they do deserve to know the truth, that way they understand the situation that they are about to be taken into. If they know it then we will be able to find out how serious they are and how willing they are to be part of the Clan."

"And if your plan fails Tsunade-hime?"

Tsunade looked at Homura and knew that he had a point, if the plan failed then it would be a possibility that things can go bad either way, there was no doubt in her mind that many of the older generation still considered Naruto as the Kyuubi itself and while they were unable to take action on Naruto due to Sarutobi protecting him from harm alongside Iruka, that certainly didn't stop them from painting a dark picture of Naruto to their children, which was why he had a lonely life.

However, from what she was able to gleam from Jiraiya as well as Naruto himself while coming back to Konoha, there were people who were able to help him and make him have as much a normal life as possible, and that helped prevent him from becoming a person who loathed other people. If he was able to have others who shared his name then it would further curb his loneliness and make him have a family.

Yes there were risks, but that was the life of a ninja regardless of gender, and in her mind, the benefits outweighed the risks. With that thought in mind, she stood firm in her decision and made her point very clear to both Homura and Kohane.

"I will deal with that as soon as it crops up, and that is final."

Both elders looked at Tsunade and seeing that she was not going to budge on the matter, took their leave and closed the door, it was then Jiraiya began to laugh out loudly while Shizune herself looked at the document.

"Oh man....if only Naruto took a look at this....hahahahahahahahaha!"

Jiraiya was laughing his guts out at the moment and Shizune couldn't help but blush a bit at what she had just read, Tsunade however only gave a smile and as soon as the male Sannin managed to get his humour under control she turned to him and spoke.

"Jiraiya....do you think this is going to work out?"

"You're having doubts?"

"Not exactly, I'm just curious if this will be for the good of all, namely Naruto."

Jiraiya sobered up a bit but still had his wide grin on his face at that.

"Well, Naruto is about to live in what most young men would consider a fantasy come true, and he is head of his clan and the only one if I might add....so he does have quite a job ahead of him."

"You've been here in Konoha before looking for me Jiraiya, you know anything about the women that are in the document?"

Jiraiya smiled at that and began to tell Tsunade all he knew at the moment concerning the three women mentioned in the document. All the while they wondered just how Naruto was going to take the news if his sensei in the Ascendant arts would tell him about the situation he was soon going to be in.

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In the mansion/fortress...

"I'm home!!!!"

Naruto called out as soon as he entered the main hall of his home fortress and he was greeted by the sight of Fenrix making final checks on a crate that had supplies of some sort, the senior Dragon Ascendant looked at his direction and gave a smile as he finished his work and walked over to his student, just as Kin came into the hall with a tooth brush in her mouth, showing that she had just come out from one f the number of bath-rooms that were present in the fortress.

Fenrix walked over to Naruto and spoke to him.

"So how did the mission go?"

Naruto filled them in on what had happened on the battles he had been in, Kin was quite surprised about the fact that Sasuke's brother had reappeared at that and then hearing that Akatsuki was the cause of the attack, Fenrix however took greater interest in the news that involved Naruto invoking the Dragon Eye as well as his use of both the Elemental Life Force technique as well as the Body Creation and Resurrection technique, both of which he knew Naruto was capable of performing though he would be suffering the consequences later on. The senior Ascendant knew that awakening the Dragon Eye at such a younger stage of development might lead to some problems and the same went for the two other techniques that Naruto had used in the mission to locate Tsunade.

Those Ascendants who were new to using the Dragon Eye like Naruto had to develop a level of control over the energy they use in summoning and retaining the Dragon Eye, he could tell that the Eye was not fully matured as of yet and the fact that it was Naruto's first time in summoning the Dragon Eye also added weight to his thoughts on the matter. The Dragon Eye was a source of great power and also had exceptional potential in growing stronger, however, for most young Ascendants; they had to undergo a level of training and physical conditioning to handle the strain of using it for the first time. Battle field awakening of the Dragon Eye was not unheard of, and while it was a great asset in battle, but as Naruto found out, he would suffer considerable pain since it was his first time using it.

He also planned to help Naruto in building his tolerance and energy reserves to better handle the strain he suffered using both techniques, though he had every intention to remind Naruto to limit his use of the technique he used to bring Dan and Nawaki back to life, he was impressed by his student's compassion and sense of kindness, willingly risking his powers to give Tsunade a measure of happiness for all the things she had to deal with for some time, but he was not entirely happy that Naruto was taking that risk at his current level of experience, growth and naturally power.

However, that part of his training would have to take....what was that term again? Oh yeah, a back seat, since he had to deal with other important matters at the moment.

"By the way Naruto....we will be having guests here in a few days, so it would be best that you make yourself comfortable with having company."

"Really? Who are these guests anyway?"

Fenrix was about to reply when the doors opened and in came none other than Jiraiya and Tsunade as well as Shizune, the blonde Hokage had to admit that the home that Naruto now had was very impressive and the same went for Shizune as well, Jiraiya decided to bring the two women there to Naruto's home in order for them to see just what sort of place Naruto now had to live in, and from what he could see the two women were impressed.

Fenrix then stepped forward wit Kin who had just finished using her toothbrush and joined him as well as Naruto in greeting their guests. Naruto naturally as clan head spoke first, though he still needed to learn to address Tsunade as the Hokage.

"Hey Tsunade-san, what brings you here?"

Tsunade however let it slide, since this was a personal visit and not an official one there was no need for Naruto to address her as Hokage just yet. Besides, she was not sworn into the office at the moment so there was no need for her to deal with the work load yet.

"I figured I take at your house, and I have to admit it is impressive, at first I thought it was going to be like those caves in the Hokage Monument where the civilians would be taken for safety in case of attack, but now....this place is really a good place to raise a clan."

Shizune also nodded in agreement, when she and Tsunade were brought to the location by Jiraiya she was also surprised at the way the place looked on the outside and she wondered just why Naruto would be living in a place like this one, but now that she was inside the fortress, she was utterly impressed, any normal person who wanted a place like this would have spent a literal fortune to come even close and there was no way a Genin could afford to have a place like this. She made that part of her thoughts clear enough as she spoke to the proud Genin.

"You have such a beautiful new home Naruto-kun, it's amazing!"

Naruto scratched his head while blushing at the praise and it was then that he forgot that he was supposed to introduce Tsunade and Shizune to the rest of his current clan. He then spoke to the two women as he pointed to Fenrix and Kin.

"By the way, I would like you to meet the rest of my clan, this is Kin who is adopted into the clan, she used to be from the Sound Village, but she is now on our side and is part of my clan as it's first adopted member."

Kin bowed before Tsunade as she already knew who she was, like all the people in the ninja world, Kin was familiar with the Sannin after all, her former leader was one of the Sannin and she had already met Jiraiya and now she was meeting Tsunade, she had heard rumours about Tsunade's super human strength, her skill in medical jutsu, and of course, the supposed good looks, and now she was seeing it all for real.

The former Sound Kunoichi then filled the two women in on the details that surrounded her defection and suffice to say, Tsunade and Shizune were impressed by what they had heard from the young woman and they could tell that there was no lie in her words when she told them of it all. They then directed their attention to Fenrix as the senior Ascendant bowed before the two in the show of respect he used when dealing with high ranking people in his former life as a soldier and when he was married to his wife so long ago before becoming a Dragon Ascendant and Valen's pupil.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Tsunade Senju, as the new Hokage of Konoha I welcome you to the home of Clan Uzumaki, and it is a pleasure to meet you as well Shizune."

Tsunade was amused at this and so was Shizune, they knew from Naruto that Fenrix was more than capable yet for someone with that much power, he seemed to be very humble about it, the newly sworn in Hokage did the same thing and bowed to Fenrix and so did Shizune.

As soon as those details were done, Naruto took the new guests at a tour of his home and he was feeling a great deal of pride as he showed them the rooms. It took at least an hour or so for Naruto, Kin, and Fenrix to guide Tsunade and Shizune through the home that Naruto now owned. As they looked about, the Hokage could tell that this place was going to be something that would take some getting used to due to the location that it was in. As soon as that was over, Naruto asked when she was going to heal both Kakashi and Sasuke and she replied that she would as soon as some more details were checked up by her in order to settle into the office of Hokage. He also asked Jiraiya what he was going to do now.

The Sannin answered that he was going to stay in Konoha a while and also help out Tsunade by acting as a spy for the village since technically he was not part of the village due to his wandering status and he would be able to get information in ways that would not be feasible by normal means. Naruto never got the real meaning of that and decided not to ask.

As soon as touring Naruto's new home was done, the Hokage asked to speak to Fenrix in private and while Naruto was not sure why this was the case, he decided to agree and head off to do some training in the training hall of his home and then getting a bit of rest before checking up on Lee and the others who were still in the hospital.

It was then that Tsunade managed to talk to Fenrix and it was there that the ground work for what was soon to come.

--------

Days later...

Naruto wondered just why was it that he was to wait for Tsunade as well as the guests who he was supposed to be expecting would be here soon. He was dressed in his usual choice of clothes, but these were updated by Fenrix to suit his status as head of his clan.

The blonde still wore his orange jacket with the same designs as before, though it was heavily changed in order to fit into his grown form due to his slowly but surely maturing powers as well as the accelerated growth rate that he had to undergo, his pants now had special marks on them. The blonde also wore a long coat that had the symbol of his clan on the back and was in red with gold flames as well. This was something that Naruto was not quite comfortable with but he accepted the need to look regal in some sense, at the very least he still had his forehead protector on.

He turned to face his sensei in the Dragon Ascendant arts and asked him a question.

"Fenrix-sensei....just who is coming along with Tsunade-san that I have to dress up like this?"

Fenrix merely smiled at that as he spotted the soon to arrive.

"Why don't you take a look for yourself?"

Naruto did so and he was able to see the guests who were arriving and was surprised to see not just Tsunade, Shizune and Jiraiya there, but also Kurenai as well as Hinata, Kiba, Akamaru and Shino yet there were two other people coming with them and both appeared to be women, one wore a vest and carried herself like a fierce female ninja with the same marks on her face as Kiba did and with wild spiky hair at that, he could see that she was dressed a Jonin and was possibly Kiba's mother as he could see some similarities in her as well as Kiba.

The other woman also had the same marks on her face but she seemed to have a gentler look about her, something that peaked Naruto's interest as he had never met her before as far as his memories went.

There was no doubt that she was related to Kiba and no doubt was his sister, and apparently older sister since she was taller than him. She too wore a vest and some sort of sleeveless shirt with short pants and sandals. Like Kiba and her mother, the mystery lady had animal familiars with her as well and they too were canines.

There was also Asuma along with his team of Ino, Chouji and Shikamaru, it made Naruto curious as to why they would be here of all things, with the way things were they would have missions to take care of in the mean time as well as routine patrols to help ensure security in the village, not that he didn't want them to come and see his home at all. He was curious too as to what they were going to do once they arrived here.

He also spotted Kakashi as well as Sakura and Sasuke and it did his heart good to see his team again and as much as he didn't show it, he was happy that Sasuke was back on his feet. Tsunade had kept her promise to heal the people injured and he was here before him. It was then that he spotted Gai with Lee with him as well as Neji and Tenten it would be a while before Lee could be taken to surgery so he would have to walk with a crutch for the time being. He hoped that Tsunade would soon heal Lee and get him back on his feet.

However he was somewhat surprised when he spotted Baki, who was joined by Gaara along with his siblings Temari and Kankurou, he wondered just what would bring Gaara back to the village and he could see that the return of the Genin from Suna had an effect as several of the other Genin in the group including Kiba as well as Sakura, not that he could blame them, he could even see Sasuke giving Gaara the look. However he was still curious as to what they were doing here of all things and with that train of thought he turned to Fenrix.

"Why are they here Fenrix-sensei?"

Fenrix merely smiled and replied.

"You'll find out soon enough Naruto, for now I think we should allow them a tour of the place do you not think so?"

--------

In the mansion/fortress of the Uzumaki Clan

Tsunade couldn't help but feel like she was going to burst out laughing at the utterly shocked look that Naruto had on his face. The blonde Genin was not alone either as his team mates, Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha were there as well his Jonin sensei Kakashi. They were not the only one as the other Genin teams were there as well as the people in question.

They were all in the main hall of the mansion/fortress that Naruto now had as a home and it was something that had amazed the rest of Naruto's class-mates as well as several other members of the group that accompanied them all to take the tour of Naruto's home/fortress.

Asuma whistled at the view as he looked at the home Naruto now owned, he had thought that living in a mountain would have meant living in caves as well as tunnels with torch light as the only available light source. This was completely far from what he had expected, this place made in the most lavish comforts in some of the places he had been to look like a second rate hotel. Not only that, the place radiated a great deal of energy all around itself, he doubted that just anyone could come into this place without being sensed.

Shikamaru had to admit that the place was certainly grand, hard to imagine in his mind that Naruto was the sole owner of this place. How it had been constructed without anyone in Konoha knowing about it made the lazy genius Genin wonder just what was going on at the moment, he had no idea as to why he was dragged along, but he hoped that something good was going to come out of this when he got dragged off when he was playing another game of shogi with his dad.

Ino had to admit that compared to Naruto's old place, the place he now lived in was grand, long ago she had seen his old apartment and was shocked to see him living in such a dank and run down place that should have been condemned a long time ago. Now it seemed that he lived in a place that made her own home look like a hovel, not that it bothered her at the moment. Still, the place looked very elegant and well maintained for a home build into a mountain.

Chouji was busy snaking along with his favourite bag of chips, but even he had to admit that the place was certainly impressive. He was also impressed with the kitchens and took Asuma and Shikamaru to get him away from trying the food stored in Naruto's supplies.

Kurenai was likewise impressed as Asuma was due to the grand way the halls were made, she could see how artistically everything in the room was done and there was no doubt that this place had plenty of value in the materials that were used into creating this place. Just a portion of the things she saw in Naruto's home would be enough to pay for a large estate already. The Jonin sensei of Kiba, Shino and Hinata looked about even more to see this place in full beauty, it would do her good to know that Hinata would find this place worth living in.

Hana had to admit that the place she would be living in if she agreed to be married to Naruto was very much an attractive place. The place was unlike anything she had seen before and was hardly something that she had expected when she had seen the place up front, it was not surprising as the place was a giant piece of solid stone. She marvelled at the intricate designs and constructions in the halls as well as the rest of the rooms, her canine familiars also smelled the place and she could tell that the dogs were somewhat comfortable in this place.

Kiba whistled a bit as both he and Akamaru looked at the sheer size of the place that was now Naruto's home. The pair came along with Hinata, Hiashi, Hanabi, as well as Neji along with his sister Hana as well as her own canine familiars, and of course, their mother Tsume was coming along. To think that Naruto now called this place home was something that Kiba was very much thought would never happen of all things. He was still not very happy with the idea of Hana being married to Naruto but that was up to Naruto to decide if he was in the mood to be married.

Hinata herself was awed at the sheer beauty of Naruto's new home as well as her sister Hanabi, she had been told by her father that Naruto's home would take some getting used to and sure enough her father was right. She had no idea that Naruto owned this place and to think she would be staying here from now on with Naruto. The thought of it made her blush bright red as she thought over on the fact that she and Naruto were to be married.

Shino was silent, but one could tell from his slight signs of facial movement that he himself was impressed by the new home that Naruto now owned. This makes the home his clan lived in look like a simple cottage. He was not jealous in the least, he was rather interested as to how Naruto would be able to handle the situation he was going to be in once he finally tied the knot with Hinata, and of course....with Kiba's sister Hana.

Sakura had no idea that Naruto lived in such a grandiose place, how this place had evaded human detection for nearly a decade was something that amazed her greatly. As she looked about she couldn't help but wonder at how long it must have taken for this place to be constructed over the period of time.

Kakashi had to admit that the place was very well built and while he was no expert on engineering, he could see that the entire mansion/fortress could take a serious amount of pounding from enemy attackers and considering the fact that it took both Naruto and Fenrix to open the doors, that meant that only they could open the doors into this place.

Sasuke was sullen but looking about, he could feel the raw power in this place and it gnawed at him to know that Naruto was owner of the fortress, there was great power in this place, power that now belonged to the blonde dope and he was not very happy about that. There was no telling what sort of secrets could be stored here and it was all for Naruto....it galled him, but he kept that hidden.

Temari was utterly surprised by the place she had just walked into, when she first saw the place she thought that she was going to be living in a cave or something similar to the wall homes that they used in Suna, instead when she entered the place it was grand and beautiful, to think that this place had evaded detection by their forces for so long was something that she had no idea about. The blonde Genin from Suna was going to have to get used to the idea of living in such a grand place.

Kankurou whistled as he looked the place over at the moment and couldn't help but find the place his sister was soon going to be living in to be very impressive. At least he was assured that his big sister was not going to be living in some sort of dump. He would have blown a gasket if he found out that the place Temari was going to be staying in was going to be poor excuse for a home, at least the place was certainly classy and well made.

Gaara was still as silent as ever but he raised his eye brows as he looked over his sister's new home as well as his soon to be brother in law's home as well. It made him smile mentally as seeing the inner halls of the place and he could tell that this place was going to be very good as a place for Temari to live in for the time being.

Baki himself was impressed by Naruto's home, how he was able to keep this place hidden from anyone was an amazing feat that boggled the Suna Jonin's mind. He looked at the halls and couldn't help that maybe the Suna Council made the right move in aligning with this clan. He only hoped that the alliance would be growing well in a few more years.

That was an hour ago as the members of the Uzumaki Clan showed the grounds and after all that was over, they were now in the main halls and this was where Tsunade along with Jiraiya and Shizune sat down to talk to Naruto about just what was going on. The blonde Genin was naturally shocked at the news that he was going to meet his potential brides. The very second that Hana, Hinata and Temari were now there in front of the others he was wide eyed as he looked the three of them. He couldn't believe that this was happening and looked at them with surprise.

"Are you serious?!"

Gaara stepped forward and spoke to Naruto.

"It's good to see you again Naruto."

Naruto didn't know what to say for a moment, but managed to get his thoughts back in order and nodded with a smile to Gaara, who he could see was smiling back, and not in the old fashion that he normally did.

"Same here Gaara."

"You've taught me something important when we last fought and you've given me a new goal to reach, so I ask you to take good care of my sister."

Naruto could tell that Gaara was serious about that and he nodded in agreement.

"I will."

Kiba then stepped forward and spoke to Naruto in a serious glare, nothing too threatening but showing that he was serious about this as well.

"You take good care of my sister Naruto, or Kami help me I will beat you to a pulp if you do something bad to her!"

"ARF!!! GRRRRR!!!!"

Akamaru offered the same sentiment as Kiba did and Naruto couldn't help but sweat drop at that, while he could take Kiba on as well as Akamaru easily enough there was no need to come to blows at the moment and therefore he nodded to Kiba and replied.

"Nothing's going to happen to your sister Kiba."

Kiba snorted at that and replied.

"Make sure of that Naruto."

Naruto then turned his attention to his fellow team members and spoke to Kakashi first.

"Are you feeling all right Kakashi sensei?"

Kakashi nodded at that, surprised and a bit happy that his student still worried about him, it was somewhat nice to be worried over though he would never admit to it.

"I am fine Naruto-kun so make sure to be ready when we take missions after you get settled in all right?"

"You got it! How about you Sakura-chan, you all right?'

Sakura nodded at Naruto, a bit surprised at his concern for her, not that she didn't want it or anything, it just surprised her a bit.

"I'm fine, I have to admit your new home is impressive."

"Thanks a bunch for that Sakura-chan!"

Naruto was happy that Sakura was praising his home of all things and then he directed his attention to Sasuke.

"Are you feeling all right Sasuke?"

"I'm standing aren't I?"

Naruto nodded as Sasuke looked on at him, no doubt still recalling the words that Itachi spoke to them all when they were still at the town. It was not long before Fenrix decided that some food and drink would be in order for the guests and both he and Kin went to the kitchens while Naruto guided them to the dining hall. All the while, Naruto couldn't help but try to make sense of all this, he knew that he was soon to be married as the head of his clan, but he was not expecting it to be today of all days.

--------

Later...

As he helped the guests into the dining hall, it was then that Fenrix brought in the food using his powers to levitate the food in while Kin helped with easier to carry dishes and drinks. The food comprised of meat such as pork, beef, and chicken as well as fish, there was also fruit, vegetables, and grains to even things out. The people were surprised at how quickly the feast was made and decided to dig in and found the food to be very delicious and filling as well. Fenrix then requested that in order for the group to be more comfortable in each other's presence, Naruto would have to sit with Hinata, Hana, and Temari in order to get used to the fact that he would be marrying either of them or all three of them in the near future.

This seating arrangement was met with some reluctance from the blonde Genin and clan head, but seeing as he had no choice at the moment, as well as the fact that the others were looking at him, he decided not to offend and sat with the three women. Naruto was in the middle of it all. As the meal went underway, Hinata was more than willing to play the part of prospective wife to be as she offered Naruto the first bite of the food, Naruto blushed a bit and accepted Hinata's offer, much to her happiness, all the while Hana and Temari were still not very comfortable with the idea, but it was not long before the two other women decided to take turns at this so they could get things to a head start, and the sight of Naruto being fed by Hana, Hinata, and Temari made Chouji comment.

"Wow....I wish that when I eat I was treated like that."

This had a reaction as the others chuckled a little; even Gaara gave a slight smirk while Kankurou was laughing a bit as well. Asuma was also shaking his head and trying not to laugh as well, while Kurenai smiled encouragingly at Hinata who was blushing to the point of her face resembling a tomato. Kakashi was laughing a bit, while the others were having their own reactions at the utter embarrassment evident on Naruto's face. Temari did not like this but had to admit it was kind of funny while Hana did what she could and she found that it would take some getting used to.

Tsunade was also enjoying this while Jiraiya was planning to have this written in his new novel and he already had the plot in mind, while Shizune was also laughing a bit herself. As for Naruto in question, he wished he could just melt into a puddle and fade away, he had never been this embarrassed before in his life, but there was no denying the fact that a part of him was enjoying this greatly.

--------

Later...

As the others had left, there were only a handful of people left in the main hall, namely Temari, Hana, Hinata, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Kurenai, and Shizune as well as Fenrix and Naruto. The senior Dragon Ascendant looked at everyone gathered in the room and could tell that now was the time that the three prospective brides to be were informed of the truth behind Naruto's life. It was going to be something that they would have to learn on their own. Of course it would be better that it was told to them by someone of authority in the village, and that one was none other than Tsunade. With that in mind, he decided to speak first.

"Before we begin to discuss the matter of you three ladies being guests in this house of the Uzumaki Clan, there are some things that I need to know about the three of you, therefore, I would like to know you three in turn, I may have read your files but it is still important that you tell me as to who you are. Why don't we start with you Hinata Hyuuga?"

Hinata nodded and spoke to Fenrix who was looking right at her.

"My name is Hinata Hyuuga of the Hyuuga Clan, and I am the current heir to the Hyuuga family and like all members of my family I use the Byakugan. I was born on December 27 and have been training in the Gentle Fist for most of my years, I am a member of Team 8 and my Jonin sensei is Yuhi Kurenai, my team mates are Kiba of the Inuzuka Clan and his familiar Akamaru, as well as Shino Aburame of the Aburame Clan."

"Fair enough Hinata Hyuuga, but I would like to know how well do you know Naruto."

Hinata blushed at that and twiddled her fingers and after a moment or two, managed to get the courage to speak.

"I....I....I've been watching Naruto-kun ever since, since we were students in the Academy, and I've...admired him for a long time, though I....ummm...never told him about it, until now. I've....always admired his dedication and his determination no matter what happens to him, and i....find that very admirable...."

Hinata blushed deeply much to Fenrix's amusement as well as Naruto embarrassment as he had no idea that Hinata thought of him in such a way. She was too embarrassed to speak anymore but Fenrix didn't force her to continue and he spoke to her.

"Very well, there will be time for the two of you to get to know one another better, now then, what of you Temari of Suna?"

Temari turned to face Fenrix and knew that it was her turn to introduce herself and while she was not keen on the whole thing, she was here and now so decided to do what she could.

"My name is Temari, and I am the daughter and first born child of the former Fourth Kazekage, my brothers are Gaara of the Sand who is my youngest brother and Kankurou who is my second youngest brother. I am one of the few Genin of my village who has an animal summon and I have skills in using Wind Release due to having my special Iron Fan and my sensei is Baki and our team is known as the Sand Siblings."

"I see...and how familiar are you with Naruto?"

"I met him in the Chuunin Exams, the first time I saw him, he wasn't much to look at in the beginning, but ever since he defeated my brother Gaara using his powers, i guess I am kind of curious, he never had that kind of ability when I first met him."

"Good, now I believe that it is your turn Hana Inuzuka."

Hana took a deep breath to calm her inner self more, as her animal familiars were next to her at the moment. As soon as she was feeling a lot more confident of the situation before her, she began to speak

"I am Hana Inuzuka of the Inuzuka Clan, and I am the first born daughter of Tsume Inuzuka who is the current head of the Inuzuka Clan, my brother is Kiba Inuzuka and I work in the Konoha Veterinary department of the Konoha medical group, taking care of all the animal familiars who are injured in the line of duty for Konoha as well as those who reside here as pets of the various people, civilian and ninja alike. I have been doing this for at least eight years ever since leaving the Academy. My canine familiars are the Haimaru Sankyodai and they are my constant companions when in battle."

Hana then turned to Naruto and spoke.

"I am not familiar with Naruto-kun that well due to not having met him before, due to my duties at the hospital and during the invasion, though I do know that he and my brother Kiba used to play games together as kids. It's kind of surprising when my mother Tsume suggested I would be marrying him actually."

Naruto had to agree there, he knew Kiba had a sister but never met her until now. Fenrix could tell that now was the right time to get down to the more serious discussions. With that in mind, he gave them all some moments to get used to seeing one another and when he was sure that they were ready, he spoke to them in all seriousness.

"Now that I know who you three really are as people from what I have just heard, I will not have something of great importance to tell you, however, before I do so, I will ask Naruto something that has a great deal of concern for marriage into the clan to work."

Naruto turned to face Fenrix who spoke to him.

"Is it all right if they are told about....your secret?"

Naruto was surprised and looked at the three women apprehensively and then turned to face Tsunade, Shizune, and Jiraiya. He did not like this and he recalled that there was a law made by Sarutobi forbidding the discussion of it all throughout the village as far as he knew. But there was no doubt that it had to be told, and seeing that Tsunade nodded in agreement, Naruto decided to give his approval.

Fenrix saw the approval from Naruto, knowing that this was going to be the hard part for him, and with that in mind he directed his attention to the three women.

"What I am about to tell you three is considered a deep secret here in Konoha, and this will be very serious as the previous Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi has made a law that forbids any mention of this in and out of Konoha, so for you Temari and for your sensei Baki, you must swear absolute secrecy here and now that you will speak of this in Suna should you return there, if this comes out, then expect me to come there to deal with it."

Both ninja from Suna could tell that Fenrix was dead serious about what he had said, they had now learned that he was more powerful than Naruto in using his powers and it would not be a difficult thing for Fenrix to carry out his threat to them, they nodded and Fenrix replied to ease their fears.

"I have no intention of fighting your village, I am warning you not just for the secrecy of the village of Konoha, but also for you not to take advantage of the things you are about to hear. This is a great secret that weighs heavily on the village and also to the head of this clan. And for you Hinata Hyuuga and Hana Inuzuka, this is a serious matter as well so you must not speak of it to others for the time being."

Seeing that both Hinata and Hana agreed, the Ascendant explained just what this secret was.

"There is no doubt that you have heard of the Kyuubi No Kitsune that attacked Konoha years before and that it was stopped by the Fourth Hokage who gave up his life to seal away the demon fox and prevent it from harming others in the village. What you do not know is that the Fourth sealed away the Kyuubi into the body of a young baby. He had asked this young child to be heralded as the hero who could imprison the Kyuubi and keep it hidden away. However, the people having hated the Kyuubi for all the lives it took denied this request."

The three women had no idea what this was about, even more so with Temari and Baki who were unaware of the whole story. Hinata and Hana however were well aware of this story as it had been told in the Academy when they were younger, though Hana knew it for a long time ever since leaving the Academy and doing her part as a ninja of Konoha. However, she had never heard of the Fourth sealing it away in a child.

Fenrix then continued with his explanations.

"The villagers hated this child and wanted the boy killed, however the Third Hokage who had retaken the position took the steps to protect this child, and made a law that forbade anyone who had seen the Kyuubi to take action on the young child as well as never to speak of the events long ago. The Hokage looked up favourably on the boy and considered him a true hero by all rights; he gave a stable life as best he could for the young boy as he grew up and eventually entered the Academy to be a ninja, with his express desire to rise to the rank of Hokage. That boy in question is the one before you..."

Three sets of eyes looked right at Naruto with shock and surprise, this struck Naruto hard like lightning bolts as this was the moment he had been afraid of, his dark secret was out and it was no longer going to be taken back, but instead of facing the three women in question he looked down on the ground for a moment or two and decided to look at them.

Hinata was utterly shocked by this and now saw why so many of the older villagers gave Naruto such a hard time and treated him like dirt, she couldn't help but try to take in the fact that he was the container of the Kyuubi. However she looked at the fear Naruto had, she could see that Naruto was very scared and it was the very first time she had ever seen him this way before. She thought it over and couldn't blame Naruto for feeling the way he was at the moment. However instead of fear and horror, she didn't feel that...she felt something else....understanding and empathy. After all, despite all that happened to him, Naruto would not give up and that was what made her feel attracted to him in the first place.

She recalled how he told her to stand up to Neji even when al things were hopeless and how he was so kind to her, healing her injuries and being there in her time of recovery. How could someone like him be a monster? She owed Naruto more than just her growth and courage, she owed him her new found faith in herself and her desire to succeed no matter the odds, and her drive to be the best.

Temari was stunned as she began to take in the revelation that Naruto was the same as Gaara, no wonder Gaara was seemingly different from what he was before he fought Naruto. To know that he was not alone and that Naruto was stronger than him had changed Gaara, yet instead of driving him to madness, Gaara changed for the better, he began to be like a brother to her and Kankurou and while it was going to take some effort for them to get used to it and no doubt the same could be said for the others in the village, she was happy for it, and now that she was told of Naruto's secret, it made sense to her why Gaara approved of Naruto as her husband. He considered Naruto as the right man for her to marry if he was like him but was able to have friends, to care for others, to gain strength from protecting others, and to show him what love truly is. That was why Gaara did not resist the idea of her being married to Naruto and instead approved of it.

And now that she thought about it....she had to give Naruto due respect, he had changed her brother from a monster to a person, given him a new path to follow and to be the brother he could be, and most of all, she could be able to make things right for her family, all due to him defeating her brother in combat.

As for Hana, she was quite surprised about this and was unsure about how she would act at the moment since unlike Hinata or Temari, she had no prior history with Naruto, but she had always considered him to be just like her little brother, and she had seen them together back when they used to skip school and play games with one another back in their younger days before Kiba was taking his lessons a bit more seriously. To know that he was the container of the Kyuubi was something that she was unaware of. After all, she was still young and only heard about the events that happened and now knowing the truth was surprising to say the least.

Fenrix could tell that this was going to be hard and then turned to Naruto to let him speak.

"Naruto...it's time to tell them how you found out."

Naruto was silent for a moment or two and looked at everyone in the room, including Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shizune, Kurenai, Baki, and Kakashi as well how he had found out about the Kyuubi when Mizuki tried to frame him for the theft of the Book of Seals made by the First Hokage and how Iruka had risked his life to save him and what happened afterwards.

As soon as that was over, Fenrix looked at the three women and directed his attention to Hinata Hyuuga, she was going to be the hardest one to deal with at the moment as she had long since had a deep crush on Naruto and there was the chance that learning about his secret could change that completely so he had to know just where was Hinata's thoughts on the discovery of Naruto's past and the reason why he was treated the way he was ever since she had first laid eyes on him back in the Academy.

"Hinata, I am going to ask you something important, knowing Naruto's secret, are you going to agree to being married to him?"

Hinata looked up and spoke with conviction in her eyes.

"I-I want to marry Naruto-kun!"

Fenrix looked at Hinata with a look of approval, but the senior Dragon Ascendant was not yet fully convinced of Hinata's pure sincerity, he had to make sure that she was indeed serious about her desire to marry Naruto.

"Are you sure of your decision Hinata Hyuuga? Knowing now that Naruto is a Jinchuuriki and carries the Kyuubi, do you still wish to marry him?"

Hinata looked at Fenrix, realizing that she had to prove to Naruto's teacher in the Ascendant arts that she was indeed serious about what she had just said to him, she had to admit that it shocked her to know that Naruto had the Kyuubi inside of himself, and it was made him have such a sad and lonely life, the same things she had seen when they were growing up and when she had first laid eyes on him when they were younger. Now that she knew that this was the reason why Naruto had such a hard and lonely life, she wanted to show to Naruto that she did love him. She then looked at Naruto who looked at her for the moment, she could see that he was not quite happy with the truth coming out and now waited for her decision.

And she was more than willing to show her decision.

"I am sure of my decision; I don't care at all about Naruto-kun being the one who holds the Kyuubi, to me...Naruto-kun is not the Kyuubi itself, but his own person, and is someone who inspired me to stand up for myself no matter what. And I....I've always cared for him ever since I....first laid eyes on him. I want to help Naruto-kun to not feel lonely anymore so that is why I want to marry him."

Naruto was stunned while Fenrix saw that Hinata meant every word and the same went for Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Kurenai, Baki and Shizune. Fenrix nodded in approval at Hinata's words and smiled at her, he then turned to Naruto and spoke to him.

"It seems that you have a good partner here."

Naruto was silent at this but then gave Hinata a small but smile bright smile, something that Hinata gave back. Then Fenrix directed his attention to both Hana and Temari, he spoke to Temari first to find out her own state of mind, there was no doubt in his mind that the discovery that her prospective mate was the same as her brother was quite a surprise for her. He decided to speak to get her attention.

"Temari, I believe it is your turn to state your own decision on the matter. Would you agree to this marriage, knowing full well that Naruto is similar to your brother Gaara?"

Temari looked at Fenrix, aware now that the Dragon Ascendant's focus was on her this time, she took a deep breath as she relaxed her mind and thought things over carefully. Knowing the truth about Naruto made her realize that this indeed was something that she was not going to be speaking about. Besides, she had already understood a lot of things ever since Fenrix revealed the secret that Naruto had in him. She was still not sure about it, but she knew that she had been asked to do this marriage alliance and saying no was not really an option, but she did want to know just who this guy was that not only defeated her brother, but changed him for the better and gave her a chance to be a sister to Gaara.

It was true that she felt some level of discomfort of the idea of marrying someone with the same or even greater power than her brother, she full well the stories of the Kyuubi's power and how it was the most powerful of the bijuu in existence, and the battle she had witnessed only weeks before had been able to show to her how deadly Naruto really was. Yet unlike Gaara he never became a monster or a murderer or disturbed. She wanted to know more about him, who was Naruto in real life?

With that in mind, she gave her answer to Fenrix.

"I...agree to going forward with the marriage..."

"Tell me why Temari. Is it because of the marriage alliance or something else?"

"To be honest...the marriage alliance is part of it, I want to protect my village from retaliation not just from Konoha but also from other villages and nations who might try to take advantage of all that has happened. I know my duties as the daughter of the Kazekage and this is one of them. But there is more, I guess I owe Naruto something important, and that is how he changed my brother Gaara, he defeated my brother and changed him, knowing now that he is like my brother Gaara yet somehow being able to have friends, and family, people he loves more than his own life is something that I want to know about. He changed Gaara and made my brother walk a different path now, and he gave me a chance to be the sister I should have been to Gaara, but was too afraid to do because of the life he had been given. I owe Naruto that much and since he is the only guy I know that Gaara respects and trusts, I am willing to get to know him more, even marry him if and when the time comes."

Naruto blushed a bit more and scratched his head, rather surprised at what Temari was saying, he had no idea that he had made such an impact on Gaara of all people and that Gaara trusts him this much. He decided not to disappoint Gaara and strive to do his best to make Temari happy, though how he was going to accomplish that was something he knew he was going to have to work on when the time comes.

Fenrix nodded at this and then turned to Hana.

"Now I believe it is your turn Hana Inuzuka, I would like to point out that it is your decision now to decide if you wish for this or not."

Hana thought about all she had just been told and it was something that she had never thought possible in her own mind. It was hard to fathom just how could someone like Naruto be the Kyuubi, in truth she was still a young girl when the Kyuubi attacked and while growing up she had heard and seen the villagers when they were dealing with Naruto and it confused her as to why they treated him like that and it made her ask her mother that more than once, Tsume said that it was hard for people to let go of something they disliked even if there was no need for it, Tsume even said that she was not really happy with how Naruto was treated but told Hana to make her own choice on the matter concerning Naruto. She decided to let that come of it's own time and allow Kiba to have fun playing with Naruto despite the fact that she had a feeling they didn't always get along.

She then looked at Naruto and then to Fenrix and replied.

"To be honest, I don't really know how to deal with this since I've not been as familiar with Naruto-kun, but my mother once taught me to let myself decide how to look at things. And I've seen Naruto when he does what he can while being here in the village. Now I know that I've never really known him, and learning that he carries the Kyuubi inside of himself is something that surprised me greatly as well as makes me very nervous. But he doesn't act like the Kyuubi I heard so much about growing up and he is a good person since he's never turned on his friends and family who reside here in the village. That is not the sign of a demon but a person and I want to know just what sort of person Naruto-kun really is."

"I....don't know fully how I feel about this and for Naruto-kun yet, but I am willing to give this marriage a try, I just hope that it will be all right for all involved."

Fenrix looked at her and spoke seriously.

"And that means that you are willing to go ahead with this?"

"I believe so, besides, I want to know just how far this can get and maybe learn more about Naruto-kun."

As soon as he was done telling them of his approval of their decisions he gave the floor to Tsunade who nodded in approval of the results as well. The Hokage then spoke of the arrangements that had been agreed to by her as well as Jiraiya, and Fenrix.

"It's good to know that you three are willing to take this chance, and for that I am happy to announce this marriage to be legalized, however, we are not going to send you off to the altars just yet, since it will be some time before a formal clan marriage ceremony is carried out, the four of you will be living here in this home/fortress in order to get to know one another in many senses. Keep in mind that considering the situation that we have in rebuilding Konoha at the moment means that funds and a formal place for the wedding will be in short supply and since many of you need time to get to know one another you will be given at least two months time to get to know and learn to live in the same home with one another."

"Also, until the wedding date, Hinata will be taking part in joint missions with her team when they are called for a mission and with Kakashi's team when there are no missions for her team. In Hana's case, if there are no assignments for her to take she can remain here in Konoha in the Hospital in her duties as a veterinarian and in the Uzumaki Clan fortress or be on assignment with Kakashi's team on their missions, and the same could be said for Temari as she will be assigned to work with Kakashi's team on missions, but for the first two weeks, you all will not be taking part in any missions so focus on getting to know one another."

"Keep in mind that Naruto's still allowed to take more than one wife apart from the three of you so expect this place to be filled up if that occurs, if it does, I want to make sure that there is a good deal of discussion on how to best deal with the situation that you all will be in for the duration of two months, in order to avoid misunderstandings as well as the ensuring chaos if things go bad."

Tsunade then gave a slight grin and spoke out a sly reminder to the three women as well as Naruto himself.

"And one more thing...try not to get too frisky while you all are here in the home all right? It will be hard to explain to everyone if the three of you ladies suddenly need to start wearing maternity dresses in your weddings instead of wedding gowns. And you Naruto-kun are going to have to take special classes on how to be intimate with women. And I would recommend that you three ladies start taking birth control IF you all decide to learn about each other in the more intimate setting."

The four people in question blushed bright red a Tsunade's last words and the meaning in them as well. Jiraiya grinned mentally to himself while Kakashi was trying his best not to smile underneath his mask. The Jonin and the Sannin were going to be very eager on just how Naruto was going to deal with the matter. Shizune herself was also trying his best not to laugh and embarrass the four people even more, while the serious Baki tried not to make any comments that could add further fuel to the fire. Kurenai was blushing a bit herself as well and she couldn't help but stifle a chuckle at the sight of Hinata blushing so hard she was amazed that the shy girl had not fainted dead away. Naruto however reacted at those words...

"Hokage-san, stop that!!!"

The other adults laughed a bit and Fenrix decided that now was the time for them to get some much needed rest, and due to Tsunade's request for them to spend time getting to know one another first before making plans for the marriage, they were given their own rooms to stay in. Hinata, Hana, and Temari were amazed at how their rooms looked even if they were merely guest rooms. Kin explained that she too had her own room and explained all the functions of the things they found in the rooms they were given.

Fenrix reminded them that tomorrow was going to the be the first day of their lives so they would have to get ready for it. The four nodded and Tsunade as well as the other adults bid them farewell as they were going to meet up with the others who had been asked to wait back in Konoha.

As Naruto entered his room, he gave a look to the three women and wondered just how he was going to deal with all this, he decided to wait for tomorrow to get the answers he needed.

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The next day...

Naruto woke up in his bed and tried to get a sense of what had happened recently, when his memories came back, he felt an odd sense of relief that his secret was out as well as seeing that despite learning this it seemed that the three women who were to be his wives in a number of months were willing to give this whole thing a try, it still made him reel at the fact that he was to be married soon in a number of months.

He managed to get the sleepiness out of his head, or at least a part of the sleepiness as he went into his room's bathroom and managed to get himself cleaned up and was getting ready for the very first day of his life being engaged, it was going to take a while to get used to the idea that he was now going to be married to three women in two months. His mind then began to form ideas on just how he was going to spend his...

Naruto shook his head at those thoughts and tried to focus on other things, like taking a shower, and he set the water on hot to get himself relaxed a bit, though as he did so, his brain began to recall those fantasies of his. He decided to deal with that as soon as he was done in the shower and before meeting the others he was going to have to deal with calming down his hormones.

As soon as he took his shower, he decided to brush his teeth and as he did so, he decided to wipe away the steam on his mirror and looked at himself, as soon as he was done brushing his teeth, he decided to get his forehead protector which he placed in the bathroom to clean up. As soon as he was done, he placed his forehead protector on and headed out the door of his bath-room, while still drying his hair with only his boxers on.

The blonde heard a gasp and quickly turned to find out who did that and to his embarrassment it was none other than....

"H-Hinata?!"

The young Hyuuga heiress had woken up early and spent some time to explore the mansion and spoke with Fenrix and then decided to see how Naruto was doing and since the young woman along with her fellow women were given special passes to open the doors in the fortress, she was able to enter Naruto's room, with the pure intention to see how he was doing.

Hinata gasped as she looked her prospective groom and long time crush and despite her shy and timid nature she found herself rooted on the spot as she looked at Naruto's physically mature form and she couldn't help but look at him while blushing to the roots of her hair.

"Hey, what going on...."

Naruto quickly turned to see none other than Temari and Hana who apparently had decided to walk in the area and heard the gasp from Hinata, and now were looking at him. He was shocked, but then realized that since he had been using hot water in order to take a bath earlier as well as dealing with his fantasies....a certain part of his male anatomy was very much seen in a rather awakened state.

The reaction of the women were different, Hinata fainted dead away while Hana blushed bright red and looked in the other direction while Temari spoke out her mind at what she was looking at while blushing bright red at the sight before her.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!! PERVERT!!!!"

Naruto tried to say something, but Temari already had an answer to that....in the shape of her giant iron fan.

WHACK!!!

Fenrix grinned at that as he had just gotten to the door from the sleeping section of the fortress to speak to them that breakfast was ready. Despite his training, the senior Ascendant couldn't help but be somewhat amused and he then moved away as he whispered to himself.

"Day One has just gotten interesting."

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To be continued...

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Author's Notes:

Now that should wrap this one up, it's not much but let's hope that this will develop well on it's own and thus will mature well enough without too much changes.

It seems that the three ladies are willing to take this chance, but if anyone was expecting a shotgun style wedding on the next chapter, then it is not going to happen that way at the moment, after all, they hardly know each other that well at the moment so we are going to let the women get to know Naruto as well as each other in order to make the marriage a lot smoother for all involved.

Now I have stated that there is still room for some more women to join up with Naruto's clan so feel free to give your suggestions. Just keep in mind that Tsunade is not going to be included in the group, she will have her own partner in this story soon enough so don't ask me if I plan to pair her up with someone.

Anyway, this will the only update that will be present for this fic so it might take some time before a new one will soon be seen in the works, so this will allow me to take a break as well as focus on other projects that have to be updated and planned out.


	10. Chapter 10

Naruto Dragon Ascendant

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Naruto...

Chapter 9

Home Life

( ): Thoughts

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In the Uzumaki Clan Fortress...

Naruto and the others were currently eating their breakfast but at the moment everyone was rather silent, no doubt due to the same incident that had just occurred before them no less than two hours before. Fenrix looked at the group before him and couldn't help but grin somewhat at what he was looking at. The blonde Genin and Clan head was busy trying to focus on eating while not looking at the three women who were also trying not to look at him.

Only two hours ago, Temari had hit Naruto on the head with her fan, on a normal person, they blow would have hurt like mad but since Naruto's Dragon King Blood made him very resilient to normal physical blows, that was not going to stop him and Temari founds that out well enough.

Fenrix stepped in and managed to calm down everyone as well as revive Hinata and asked the girls to leave the room to allow Naruto to get dressed. After that was finished, they went to the Dining Hall to have breakfast. The senior Dragon Ascendant could tell that his first day was going to be an interesting time and hoped that he could keep the peace between Naruto and the others.

As soon as they were all done eating, Fenrix turned to speak to Naruto.

"Naruto, may I have a word with you in the Training Hall?"

Naruto wondered what was that about and nodded as he excused himself and then the two headed for the Training Hall, but not before Fenrix spoke to the three women in question.

"By the way, after I am done talking with Naruto, I will be speaking to the three of you next on some important matters."

Temari, Hana, and Hinata thought about that and wondered if this soon to come discussion had anything to do with the incident that just occurred. Hinata was still blushing like mad at the memories of what she saw, while Hana was trying to stem the tide of images in her own mind, and Temari was still trying to get used to the idea of seeing what she saw.

All three women nodded and decided to busy themselves while waiting for Fenrix to talk to them. As the two Dragon Ascendants left for the training hall, the three women took their leave to the rest of the rooms in the mansion/fortress that they were living in.

Hinata went to the Creation Hall and marvelled at the place while looking at the all the things she had seen, Hana and her canine familiars who had joined her went off to explore the rest of the mansion fortress while Temari decided to look at the statues in the Main Hall as well as take in the sights of her new home. All three of them had to admit that living here wasn't such a bad prospect now as they looked at it all.

Hinata marvelled at what she was seeing and it was then in the Creation Hall that she saw Kin who was busy arranging some scrolls and she recalled that the former Sound Genin had been one of the foes fought by her fellow Genin of Konoha and she wondered just how she had joined Naruto's clan. With that desire to know this situation more, the Hyuuga heiress walked over to Kin and spoke.

"Excuse me?"

Kin looked and spoke.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"I-I was wondering how you became part of....ummm, well, N-Naruto-kun's clan, didn't you used to be with Sound?"

Kin nodded and sighed as she thought back on how exactly she landed to be here in Naruto's clan, and as she told Hinata the whole thing, the former Sound Genin wondered just how she was going to act while she was here in the fortress. Fenrix had become her sensei and despite the fact that she was no Ascendant, she found her new sensei to be a kind master who did his best to help her. She had very few regrets and here she could start a new life, she had no family with which to speak of as she had always been an orphan to begin with so there was no need for her to worry about any family, she had a new family here and she was going to make the most of it.

As she finished telling her story to Hinata, the former Sound Kunoichi realized that she was supposed to be taking care of some important materials here in the Hall and it would not be good if she was distracted for too long.

"You'll have to excuse me, I have to get back to work."

"Oh! All right, thank you Kin-san."

"Not a problem, anyway, why don't you go and see how Naruto-sama is doing at the moment?"

Hinata nodded and recalled the way to the Training Hall in the Fortress that was now her home, it was not long before she arrived there and entered the halls and there before her was Naruto currently sparring with Fenrix in the use of Elemental Manipulation Taijutsu, Naruto was currently using Fire as his Element and Fenrix countered with Water, she had seen Naruto in action before when he had been fighting with Neji back in the Chuunin Exams and she was still amazed that Naruto had this kind of power. Both master and pupil threw Fire and Water at one another. As she watched, Naruto threw fast and strong punches and kicks, unleashing tongues of flame as Fenrix who retaliated with barriers of water as well as whips of water that Naruto had to deflect with walls and waves of flames of his own.

The sounds of boiling water and razing fire were heard as the two Ascendants fought one another with considerable skill as Hinata watched the whole thing before her at the moment. Naruto and Fenrix continued with their sparring and eventually the two of them stopped attacking and relaxed, Hinata saw the tattoos that glowed on their bodies began to fade back into their bodies and that was enough to tell her that they were no longer using their abilities to manipulate the elements. The two began to talk for a while and it seemed to be a serious discussion until Naruto looked at her direction and spoke out to her.

"Hinata-san?"

Fenrix turned to look at the direction that Naruto spoke towards and he saw that Hinata was indeed there and he smiled at Hinata's direction and spoke respectfully to the Hyuuga heiress.

"Ah, Hinata-sama, just the one I wanted to see."

"Me?"

"Yes, I am well aware that you possess the Byakugan so you may help your husband on his training to master an aspect of his Kekkai Genkai."

Hinata wondered just what Fenrix was saying and walked over to the pair and it was there that Hinata was told about the Dragon Eye, to know that this power was the ancestral form of the Byakugan and the Sharingan as well as the power of the other Kekkai Genkai amazed Hinata as she had never expected her long time crush to possess this kind of power before but then she was told that the Dragon Eye that Naruto had was unstable and it hurt him deeply when he was still not ready to use it's full power, however Fenrix then told her that she she could help him in how to master this part of his gift.

"H-How can I help Naruto-kun?"

"You're clan have already mastered the Byakugan, it's abilities and how to summon them, I can teach Naruto how to use the power better, however it would prove to be helpful if there is another who can help him grow in ability apart from me, plus I believe this will be a good chance for the two of you to spend some quality time together, as well as get to know one another in a more unique setting."

Both of them blushed a bit at that as Fenrix decided to let them be for the time being and when they were alone, Hinata couldn't help but blush as she realized that she was now alone with her Naruto-kun. But she decided to table those thoughts away for the time being as she had to help Naruto with her new need to train with the Dragon Eye.

With that in mind, she spoke to Naruto.

"S-S-So, should we begin N-Naruto-kun?"

Naruto nodded eagerly as he had been told by Fenrix that he would need to learn not just from him, but from other people as well, and he had to admit that Hinata with the Kekkai Genkai would be a good teacher. Besides, he could finally see just who Hinata really was, he once used to consider that she was kind of weird but not that he had gotten to know her, she was not so bad a person in his eyes.

"Sure! This is going to be cool indeed, all right then...whenever you're ready Hinata-san!"

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Two to three hours later...

The two spent as much time as they could together, Hinata was more than willing and eager to teach her long time crush and soon to be husband how to use the Dragon Eye better, like all of her clan, Hinata had developed a near subconscious ability to control the flow of their chakra into their eyes so they would be able to activate the Byakugan and use their chakra well to use their Gentle Fist Style. However the steps and lessons used by their ancestors to control their chakra flow was not forgotten by the Hyuuga Clan and those lessons were still there and had been taught to her and to all the clan when they were younger.

Hinata decided to teach the basics to Naruto, namely about how to use only the best amount of chakra to use the Byakugan. It was there was the Hyuuga Clan's high chakra control was seen as they needed to have exceptional chakra control in order to use the Byakugan in battle well enough without consuming too much chakra which could weaken them as well as limit their use of the Gentle Fist along with any jutsu and techniques that they know of from either their clan or their personal preference.

She could see that despite Naruto's considerable growth the need to control his chakra to such a fine degree was unknown to Naruto and Fenrix was right in letting her teach him how to use his chakra well, plus it allowed her to have some alone time with her husband to be.

As time passed, she learned a lot more about her long time crush as he told her about his life before his hidden Kekkai Genkai awakened inside of him and she felt even more desire to do what she could to make Naruto happy and she did her best to teach him as they went through the training of focusing the chakra through the eyes and allowing the chakra to flow normally through the body and to the eyes themselves. Hinata used her Byakugan to watch Naruto's progress and she did her best to teach her husband to be how to use his chakra well and Naruto proved to be a good listener. SO much so that Hinata decided to teach Naruto the gentle Fist at a much later date.

After the long session, Hinata and Naruto took a break for a while and stopped their training with one another

Hinata gathered her courage and spoke to Naruto gently.

"N-N-Naruto-kun....I wanted to apologize."

Naruto was surprised by this, he had wanted to say sorry to Hinata for making her faint like that but now she was the one apologizing to him?

"What for Hinata-san?"

"Ummm...well....I....I should have k-knocked first to see if you....were in the room. I caught you....at well....the wrong time....and for that I...."

Naruto could tell that Hinata was trying her best not to faint before him and he could see the deep patches of red that stained her cheeks, he never could figure out just why Hinata was like this when he was around, but he had to admit it made her look really cute for some reason, however he could tell that she was trying her best not to also say something to embarrass herself before him so he should at least do something to assure her that he was not angry at her for doing what she did.

"It's all right Hinata-san, it was my fault this time for not locking the door earlier."

"But Naruto-kun...."

Naruto spoke gently to Hinata since he knew that she was a truly kind hearted and shy girl, so t assure her that she was not at fault, he did forget to lock the door to his room and that allowed her to get into his room, not to mention the fact was that since he was in the bath room earlier, there was no way for him to know that someone was in his room. It was then that he decided to say something interesting to see how Hinata would react.

"It's all right Hinata-san, I do accept your apology and to be honest....it was not too bad."

"Eh?!"

Naruto smiled a bit and replied.

"Well...even though we haven't done it yet, we ARE married to one another after all Hinata, so there's nothing wrong with you seeing me like that. In fact...I would find it nice if I get to do the same thing to you to."

Hinata blushed bright red at that as she looked at Naruto, and despite the fact she was super embarrassed at what she had just been told, there was truth in what Naruto said to her, they were indeed married though they were not going to the altar just yet. As Naruto's wife she did have the right to be with him in many aspects, including being with him intimately, the fact was she was his wife by law and should not be embarrassed to catch him like that, and in turn, he could do the same with her.

The idea of appearing nearly naked before her long time crush and now husband made the normally shy and timid Hyuuga heiress blush even more. Hinata had never done that before and would have never had the nerve to appear naked before anyone in her life. But to do it before Naruto, who she had loved for all her growing up years, and to know that he would love that made her think even more about how to make Naruto see the real her.

Naruto wondered if he had perhaps gone too far, he had planned to say those things as something of a joke to make Hinata relax, but now he was wondering if he said something that was downright wrong, and now that he thought about it, he knew that he was pushing the envelope and he should tell Hinata that he was just joking with her.

However, she surprised him big time when she spoke.

"Well....if....if you don't mind me seeing you....like that Naruto-kun, I guess I...I can let you see me as well."

That made Naruto gape at the very much blushing Hinata, she didn't just say that in front of him did she?!

"Hinata-san?! Did you....?"

Hinata nodded and replied.

"Well...we're...we're married right? So if you want to see me like that....I won't mind."

The idea of hearing those words come from Hinata was something that Naruto had never expected in his entire life! Who would have ever thought that the normally shy, timid, gentle, and kind hearted Hinata Hyuuga would say something like that?! Coming from her, such a thing sounded very scandalous, yet downright tempting as well. Naruto did the only thing that he could manage...

He fainted...

Hinata's eyes widened and she rushed over to her husband to be and tried to wake him up. She straddled him and tried to check for a pulse on Naruto as well as check his breathing, she was happy that he was not suffering any pain, but his sudden and highly unexpected fainting spell still made her worry greatly

"Naruto-kun! Are you all right?! Please be all right!!!"

That was when Fenrix came back, the senior Ascendant had just allowed Hana to go back to her clinic to oversee her duties there as head veterinarian while Temari had gone off to the local library of Konoha in order to learn more about the customs of Konoha, as well as get used to living in Konoha and explore the whole village that was now her home.

Fenrix grinned at the sight of the Hyuuga heiress being on top of Naruto....straddling him even and he couldn't help but reply.

"When I said the two of you can spend quality time getting to know one another, I was not really expecting this all of a sudden. Maybe you would like it that I should leave and let you two have some privacy or would you like me to bring some mattresses in here Hinata-sama?."

Hinata blushed bright red at being caught like this.

--------

In a small restaurant...

Kurenai couldn't help but stare with some level of surprise at her student Hinata as the Jonin and the Hyuuga heiress were currently having some alone time as Kurenai acted like a surrogate mother to the young Kunoichi. She had managed to get some time with her student when Hinata decided to go for a walk in Konoha as well as visit her family before heading back to her new home, she met Hinata and she was happy to see her student once more, she then brought Hinata to this restaurant that she liked to visit, treating her student and surrogate daughter to a private meal in celebration to her change of fortunes and after they ate well, she then decided to ask her just how married life was for her, even though they had not officially tied the knot just yet, while she knew that Hinata loved Naruto deeply, she knew that it would be a while before Hinata would make any moves on the blonde youth who was her husband to be.

But now after hearing this, she couldn't help but be amazed at Hinata's boldness.

"You said THAT to Naruto?"

Hinata blushed deeply at the memories of her own words only hours before and nodded at her Jonin sensei. That was enough to make Kurenai grin and she spoke to Hinata.

"Wow....I had no idea you were getting so bold."

"Ummm....well...it is true....right Kurenai-sensei? N-N-Naruto-kun and I are already engaged....so....I believe that it is all right for him to see me like that as well....or did I get that all wrong?"

Kurenai couldn't help but giggle a bit at this, she had no idea that Hinata was taking such steps, this was so unlike her student, though of course, she had to admit that Hinata did have a point, they might not have been officially married but it was true that by law Hinata and Naruto were indeed husband and wife and whatever they did together in their private times was indeed their business so there was nothing wrong with Hinata saying those things to Naruto.

Of course, Kurenai kept in mind that Hinata was still rather young and therefore didn't get the right kind of education on how to be intimate with a man. She was happy that Hinata was not only getting more confidence due to Naruto's support, but also being finally married to her long time crush and object of affections. The Jonin knew that Hinata's shy and timid nature would work against her when she was with Naruto so it would not be surprising that Hinata was being cautious around him despite them being married.

She was well aware that as soon as Hinata and Naruto were out of the Academy, by ninja law they ceased to be kids and were now adults, but they were still in their early youth and were not yet adolescents so she would have to guide Hinata through this, she wished that she could do a good job, Kurenai didn't get married as of yet and was still young by the standards of most Jonin so she knew that she couldn't really be the best source of advise for Hinata on how to handle being married. It was a shame that Hinata's mother died after giving birth to Hinata's sister Hanabi, it would have been her mother's duty to help her in being a married woman.

Besides, despite her respect to Hiashi, it would be wrong for her to ask Hiashi to teach Hinata on how to be a proper wife, not just because he had a lot of things to do as well as mend his relationship with Neji and Hinata along with the Branch Family so such hatred would never be there between the members of the Hyuuga Clan, but also due to the fact that...well, Hiashi was not a woman and it took a woman to teach a lady how to be a proper housewife.

"You didn't do anything wrong Hinata, you're reasons are very sound since you and Naruto-san are indeed married by law."

Hinata gave a sigh of relief at that, she had thought that maybe she had pushed Naruto too far which was why he fainted when she said that to him only three hours ago. She had tried to wake him up until Fenrix arrived and helped Naruto up from what had happened. She had then told Fenrix what she said to Naruto and the Dragon Ascendant laughed out loudly at that and assured her that he would take care of Naruto.

However it was then that the two of them were joined by another person.

"Well now Kurenai-chan....I hear that your student has really upped the ante on her husband to be huh?"

The two turned and there was none other than Anko Mitarashi with a very wide grin on her face as well as a deep twinkle in her amber eyes, apparently the Special Jonin and former student of Orochimaru had heard the whole conversation between Kurenai and Hinata and seemed that now was the right time for her to join it and help out the shy and timid Hinata. She was well aware of Hinata's personality, having been able to read about her profile due to her being a Jonin and one of the proctors of the Chuunin Exams, so the idea of this shy wallflower of a Kunoichi saying such things to a man was very entertaining in her mind.

Anko looked at Hinata and spoke to her.

"You've really impressed me Hinata-chan...to think you would say such a thing to a young man.. But at least it was with your crush huh?"

"A-Anko-san, you were listening to me and Kurenai-sensei?"

"You bet! You're darn lucky you know....getting married to your long time crush and making him faint like that. You are very lucky, but I think you need to get an education on some matters."

"Like what?"

"On how to make a man happy in more ways than one. And I know a good deal about that sort of thing."

Hinata blushed and twiddled her fingers, but wanting to make her Naruto-kun happy was something of a personal mission for Hinata as well as her deepest desire too so she was willing to listen on things that could help her in her goal to make Naruto happy, even though she had no idea on what Anko was suggesting.

"Really? Can you teach me some of those things Anko-san?"

Anko grinned at that and was about to speak when Kurenai looked at her with a slight glare, Kurenai and Anko were friends and working colleagues, but Kurenai was not in the mood to let Anko mention such things to someone like Hinata and in public no less. The Special Jonin was very open and knowledgeable about such things and it was true that Kunoichi were trained to seduce their targets when they were male...or even female if such a thing had to happen, but she liked it better that Hinata would be taught such things at a much better time than now and in a restaurant of all places.

"Anko...please, we're in a public place."

Anko pouted at that in a cute but sarcastic fashion and replied.

"All right Kurenai-chan, but you do have to admit that your student does need to learn how to be more open when it comes to pleasing her husband right? It's not like it's a bad thing after all."

"I know that Anko, but now is not the time or place."

Anko grinned and nodded as she sat down beside Kurenai and decided to have some fun with the two as she still had a keen interest to help Hinata learn how to pleasure her husband to be and Kurenai could help, as she knew that Kurenai was like a mother to the young Kunoichi so she would have to get the red eyed Jonin's approval. Of course, Anko had to cut away some of the ideas since there was no way Hinata would ever agree to those things.

"All right then, how about I teach Hinata-chan that she should learn to flirt with her husband?"

Kurenai thought about it and nodded while Hinata showed just how innocent she was yet again.

"Flirt?"

--------

In the Veterinary Clinic Hall...

"NARUTO DID WHAT?!"

That shout came from a very shocked Kiba Inuzuka as he looked at his big sister Hana who had arrived to do her usual rounds in the clinic that their clan partially owned, alongside him was Akamaru as well as Hana's own canine familiars and of course the matriarch of the Inuzuka Clan Tsume and her own familiar. Tsume was grinning like a wolf at this as she could see the utter embarrassment of her eldest daughter when she told them of what had happened this day with Naruto.

As soon as that was over, Kiba glared and spoke.

"That idiot Naruto! Gods I'm going to kick his ass for this!"

Tsume then replied.

"Lighten up son, it's just a normal thing."

Kiba looked at his mother with shocked eyes and replied.

"Normal?! Mom you can't be serious!!! Naruto just..."

"Walked naked or near naked in front of your sister? Kiba, listen, when I was with your father, before he ran off, I used to do the very same thing in front of him when you were still in your diapers and Hana was already learning how to walk and he certainly DIDN'T mind in the very least. Keep in mind that Naruto IS Hana's husband by Clan law so there's nothing wrong with what happened between them."

"But..."

"No buts Kiba, Hana and Naruto are already married so you have to get used to the fact that those kinds of things WILL happen at some point in their married lives so there's no reason for us to get so worked up about."

Tsume then smiled at her daughter in a very feral way and then she spoke to her daughter.

"Though I think you should do the moves next time that happens in front of you Hana."

Hana blushed at that and replied...

"MOTHER!!!"

Tsume shrugged at that and replied, unfazed by the looks of shock both her son and daughter gave her.

"Don't sound so embarrassed about it, it will happen eventually and since the two of you are married by law though you haven't walked down the carpet yet, you should be affectionate with your husband as soon as the time comes. Besides it is a normal thing for the wife to flirt and tease her husband on occasion, not to mention that sometimes the woman has to be....aggressive at times as well."

Kiba was beginning to get a headache and Tsume could see that in her son and decided to help him calm down before he had a problem about it later on in life.

"Kiba, you don't have to listen to this you know, but sooner or later, you are going to be older and you too are going to have a chance at being married so try not to worry about it so much.

--------

Of course....it wasn't just Hinata and Hana who were getting the once over...

Sakura looked at Naruto with incredulous eyes, Kakashi was smiling and actually laughing while holding his stomach, even Sasuke couldn't help but look utterly flabbergasted at his team mate. It took about two more minutes until Sakura reacted in her usual fashion.

"YOU DID WHAT IN FRONT OF HINATA-SAN, HANA-SAN, AND TEMARI-SAN?!"

Kakashi was enjoying this immensely as he looked at the very deep shade of red on his student's face, he had to admit that Naruto had just done something that most young men his age had only dreamed of doing, not to mention the fact that he was now having more than one wife. He then spoke to Naruto to see just what other reactions he could get out of the blushing blonde Genin.

"You've really gotten lucky Naruto-kun, though I was hoping that you all could have gone ahead and gotten to know each other intimately, it would have really spiced things up early in the morning, plus you could have gotten an idea on how much fun you can have in getting married and to more than ..."

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!!!!"

Naruto and the others looked at the Jonin with utter shock, they had never expected this and while they knew that Kakashi was something of a pervert, they were not expecting him to be this much of a pervert. The Jonin however wasn't bothered by the looks given to him by his students and decided to continue needling Naruto.

"So Naruto-kun, how did they react?"

Naruto blushed and replied.

"Well....Hinata-san fainted, Hana-san turned away and blushed....and...."

"And?"

"Temari-san....Temari-san clonked me on the head with her iron fan."

That was more than enough to make Sakura laugh, Kakashi smiled and even Sasuke couldn't help himself as he chuckled, the image of Naruto being clonked on the head by one of his wives was just too funny an image for them to turn down

Sasuke was somewhat surprised by Naruto's admission and he decided to ask further.

"You mean to tell me every time you use the Dragon Eye in battle, it hurts?"

Naruto shook his head and replied.

"Hurt's a mild way of saying it Sasuke...imagine a thousand red hot tiny needles driving into your eyes all the way to your brain, that's the kind of pain I feel when the Dragon Eye fades away. Fenrix-sensei said that I wasn't the first to have this kind of problem and I can train myself to grow more tolerant and in control, but if I don't develop better control....I can really injure my eyes....or worse....become permanently blinded."

Sakura and Kakashi were also surprised by that and even Sasuke was as well, the Uchiha had noted that Naruto had looked somewhat weak when the blonde Genin faced off with both his brother and that mane with the shark like face features and the sword. He thought it was just something else, but now that Naruto told him this, he decided to ask a bit more.

"You said that if you don't develop the control needed for that Dragon Eye, you could be permanently blinded? How can that be? You're Dragon King Blood is supposed to be the ancestor of all Kekkai Genkai so how can you have that kind of weakness?"

Naruto glared and replied.

"Hey! It's not like I've had the training in using this Kekkai Genkai of mine for a long time and I knew about it growing up you know! I only recently got this power so it does take some getting used to, even though I've trained for two months and all doesn't mean I have full mastery over it. At least you're lucky that your body can handle the Sharingan of all things, mine is all new to this power I have so I have to start from scratch, just like Fenrix-sensei said."

Sasuke had to admit that it did make sense, the Sharingan took some time to get used to as well but since his clan were using it for a long time, they only needed to awaken it and then they could use it for as long as their chakra allows as well as how strong they were in body and mind, how much stamina and chakra they had, as well as how skilled they were.

Kakashi nodded at that and spoke.

"I can understand what Naruto-kun is saying, I'm not a full blooded Uchiha myself so my Sharingan constantly takes my chakra if it's not covered since I can't turn it off. So have you been training with it Naruto-kun?"

Naruto nodded at that.

"Yeah, Fenrix-sensei is teaching me the basics, and so is Hinata-san."

That made Sakura raise her eyebrow a bit and she couldn't help but smile a little, like all the others, she was well aware of Hinata's long standing crush on her blonde team-mate. Now that she thought about it, Hinata was a good choice to help Fenrix teach Naruto as Hinata had a Kekkai Genkai that had to do with the eyes.

"So Hinata-san's teaching you huh? Good for you and her then. How is the training anyway?"

Naruto nodded and smiled as she thought about the hours he spent with Hinata.

"Not too bad, Hinata-san's teaching me how to use my chakra well so I don't hurt my eyes too much, she's pretty good at it actually and she's really patient with the training."

Sakura smiled at that as she was happy that Hinata now had a chance to be happy and be with Naruto, though there was a part of her that was somewhat sad for some reason as she looked at Naruto who seemed to be very happy now, but she decided to put those thoughts aside for the time being as she couldn't help but feel happy for not just Naruto but for Hinata as well.

Kakashi himself also approved of that fact as Hinata was a very good choice to help teach Naruto how to control his new found abilities.

It was not long before they were joined by another person, and this was none other than Temari herself, Naruto smiled a bit and greeted his other wife to be.

"Hey there Temari-san!"

The blonde Wind User sighed as she spotted Naruto as well as his team-mates, she recognized the Uchiha youth well enough, along with the pink haired Kunoichi who had been pursuing her brother as well as the Uchiha who had gone after Gaara. She also recognized Kakashi Hatake as the Copycat Ninja of Konoha and the son of the White Fang of Konoha, Sakumo Hatake. She had read up enough back in the library of Suna before she went to the village of Konoha and reviewed her sources when she arrived in the library in Konoha.

All the while, she had to deal with the fact that a number of the villagers were not happy with her around the village, no doubt not forgetting the actions of her fellow Suna ninja when they had attacked the village of Konoha, she however had expected that and managed to ignore those looks, of course she knew that since she was now married to one of their own, she was now one of their own. Temari knew that it was not going to be that simple however and decided to go around for a bit to get used to the village, she had just arrived in the training grounds and despite the recent episode, the blonde Kunoichi was now a bit calmer than before.

She walked over to Naruto and nodded in greeting.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you here, I thought you were training with your sensei Fenrix or something."

"I was....but I finished for the time being so I came out to meet my team, so what's your plan?"

Temari thought about it and decided to go along with Naruto for the time being.

"Not much really, I was planning to go around the village here to see the place well and get used to living here."

Naruto then had an idea.

"Hold on, why don't you come with us, I can bet that we can show you the town, right guys? What about you Kakashi-sensei?"

The others in Naruto's team thought it over but Sasuke shook his head and decided to leave since he had other things on his mind. Namely on dealing with the situation before him as well as how to be ready for fighting with Itachi once they met again and he needed to find another way to be stronger than his brother, with that in mind, the Uchiha left the area. Sakura and Kakashi however were more than willing to go along with Naruto and Temari for the moment as there were no missions for them to take for the moment.

Naruto then recalled that Neji and Tenten's team-mate Rock Lee had already finished undergoing surgery from Tsunade and he was eager to see how he was doing.

------

In the hospital...

Lee managed to move his arms a bit and felt some slight pain in his body but nothing too major at the moment as he tried walking around the room for a bit while under the gaze of both his fellow team mates and Gai-sensei as well as Shizune and Tsunade as well. Initially, Tsunade said that Lee would have to give up being a ninja considering the sheer damage to his body, namely his spine. Apparently the use of opening the chakra gates coupled with his previous injuries had sent large numbers of bone fragments into his spine and if not properly treated, they would cripple him for life, but after being cajoled by Gai as well as Lee, and recalling her promise to Naruto she did her research and explained that there was a way for Lee to be healed.

However there was a risk that if it went wrong he would die, Lee was naturally shaken up and it seemed that he was going to break, but after some time and conversation with his Jonin sensei, Lee took the chance...and it seemed to have paid off well enough. However Tsunade was not going to let him off the hook just yet, just because the bone fragments were no longer there didn't mean he could be a ninja again and start training. His body had to heal properly and that would take time as well as medication, rest, and therapy.

"So....how do you feel?"

Lee looked at the waiting pair of Medic Nin and smiled with a bow to the two of them.

"I feel much better, there is still some pain here and there, but once I'm fully healed, I will be fine Tsunade-hime."

Tsunade smiled at that, this was one thing that was now put to rest and she could worry about other things, one of them being a certain white haired Sannin team mate of hers. The blonde Hokage hoped that things would be easier as soon as she was able to get Jiraiya to behave.

It was at this moment that another batch of people came in and it was then that the room got a bit more crowded. The members of Gai's team were surprised to see Naruto coming to greet them, with Temari alongside the blonde ninja, the very second that happened, the atmosphere in the room became thick as well.

Lee gave a hard look to Temari, no doubt recalling her actions when she had tossed Tenten towards the weapon pile there after their battle, Tenten also had not forgotten that moment either as she looked at Temari, Gai could see that and hoped that this would not become a dangerous matter, as much as he didn't like what Temari had nearly done to Tenten, and the fact that Temari's brother Gaara nearly killed Lee, he was well aware of the fact that things at the time were different and he was not going to jump the gun.

Kakashi was in the same boat and so was Naruto, the blonde Genin hoped that something dangerous or deadly was not going to happen. Tsunade herself also recognized the situation, while she was not all that aware of what exactly happened in the Chuunin Exams, she could see and feel the hostility at the same time that was in the room. Shizune also saw the very same thing at the moment but decided to relax and see how Naruto would handle this situation, as Clan Head the blonde Genin had to be a good leader in not just fighting enemies and managing the daily clan affairs but to also be a diplomat at the very same time.

Lee then spoke.

"Naruto-san, may I ask what is Gaara-san's sister doing here in Konoha?"

Naruto sighed and began to explain what had happened and how Temari became his wife while naturally not telling the truth about him carrying the Kyuubi inside of him, needless to say this had surprised everyone, even Neji who was normally the calm one of his team was surprised at the news that Naruto was married to Gaara's elder and only sister. Gai himself was surprised as he had not heard of this just yet and wondered about that. He then decided to go and chat with Kakashi at a later date to find out if this was indeed true.

Tenten looked at Naruto and then at Temari with some level of surprise, it was not something the normally didn't deal with as she had her own priorities in life as well as her goals, but the idea of Naruto being married to Temari was shocking enough to her.

Lee was surprised to say the least and looked at both Temari and Naruto, he still did not like Temari all that much due to what she had done or nearly done to Tenten, yet he was not the kind to carry grudges as Temari proved that she was the better fighter at that time. he knew that things were different now and since Naruto is Temari's husband so having a fight with Temari was out of the question.

The Genin then spoke.

"I see, well then I have no hard feelings about the situation, if you and Temari-san are to be husband and wife in two months' time then there's nothing that can be said about it."

Lee then offered his hand to shake Temari's and the blonde Kunoichi had for a brief moment though that Lee was going to attack her, she had already seen him in action and knew that apart from Naruto himself, Lee was quite capable of hurting Gaara as well so she had to be careful around him. However seeing that he had no intentions of harming her, she gave her hand to Lee and shook it, surprised at the grip he had in his hands, telling her that he trained well.

Neji then stepped forward and spoke as well.

"So you're married to Naruto-san as well as Hinata-sama, I guess that would make you my sister in law through my cousin's side then."

Temari could tell that Neji was still somewhat serious though more relaxed and shook his hand, knowing that they were going to be related through marriage, after all, according to the information that her people had gathered about the Hyuuga Clan, both her sister-wife Hinata and Neji were cousins due to her father being Neji's uncle and Neji's father being Hinata's own uncle. She then directed her attention to Tenten and the Konoha Kunoichi sighed and looked seriously at Temari, she then replied.

"I've got no issues since by law you are part of Konoha now….except one issue…"

That got the attention of everyone in the room and Tenten replied.

"I want a rematch someday, count on it."

--------

Later…

Temari walked with Naruto for the moment as they headed for Naruto's favourite food stand as both Kakashi and Sakura had to leave, the Jonin for patrol duty while sakura had to help her mom with chores as well as delivering supplies to the people working in the village, the blonde Kunoichi was still quiet and that troubled Naruto somewhat as he was not sure how she was feeling after the short but thankfully uneventful confrontation with the others of Lee's team., having been there himself, he couldn't blame Lee and his comrades for their distrust on the whole matter, he then wondered just how Temari was handling it, namely when Tenten said that she was in the mood for a re-match, he hoped that it was not going to get out of hand so he decided to have a chat with Temari to see how she was faring at the moment.

"Temari-san...are you all right?"

The blonde Kunoichi was deep in thought for the moment when she heard her husband's voice and looked at Naruto, she then spoke to him to find out what was it that he wanted from her at the moment.

"What is it Naruto-san?"

Naruto scratched his head and decided to tread carefully on this moment as he recalled the episode in the fortress and knew that Temari was not the kind to hesitate to hit back if she was offended by someone.

"Are you all right after that meeting with Lee and his team?"

"Oh that....I can't blame them for that, after all, things were quite different at the time so there's not much i could do about that sort of thing."

"I could go and talk to them if you want me to help straighten things out for you."

Temari looked at Naruto and saw that he meant it, that made her smile a bit seeing that Naruto cared for her well being as well as her standing with his friends. That was something that she had to admit was rather nice to see in a man. The blonde Kunoichi however had always prided herself on being independent as well as being able to solve her own problems with her own efforts.

"Thanks, but I prefer to settle my own problems, I appreciate the effort Naruto, but I don't want to sound like a needy girl."

Naruto raised an eye brow and replied.

"There's nothing wrong with asking help is there? Even I ask Sakura-chan for help if I need it greatly."

"I didn't say that, but some women prefer to deal with problems on their own terms, and I'm one of them Naruto."

"All right, so, what kind of ramen do you want Temari-san?"

The blonde Kunoichi and her husband to be arrived to the ramen stand, and Teuchi as well as his daughter Ayame were more than happy to welcome the pair and soon Temari took a ramen order with tofu soup as the base along with vegetables and some beef in the soup as well, Naruto had his usual order as well. Temari had to admit that Teuchi and Ayame really knew how to make good food and could understand just why was it Naruto favoured this place frequently as far as she had been able to learn about her husband before he returned after finding and bringing Tsunade back to Konoha to serve as their new Hokage.

As they relaxed there, Temari and Naruto decided to just enjoy the food with Naruto paying for once in his life. As they finished their meal, Naruto decided to bring Temari around Konoha to get to know the place a bit more, until they finally reached the field where he and the others of his team had their first training exercise under Kakashi and Temari was somewhat amused by the nostalgic expression on her husband's face as he touched the log where he got tied up a long time ago for failing to get the bell from his Jonin sensei.

He then told Temari about the Land of Waves mission and how he had dealt with Haku's death as well as Zabuza's along with all he had experienced by far. Temari listened and got to see a much different side to the blonde Genin and wondered if the whole dumb dolt act he showed to her and everyone else for that matter was something to hide his power. He never revealed his powers during the early stages of the Chuunin Exams until the Preliminaries and then during the invasion itself.

Later….Naruto and Temari returned home to the fortress and as they entered the fortress Temari turned and spoke to Naruto.

"it's been….interesting, I wonder how good you are when we go on a mission Naruto-san, maybe we'll be working together on a new mission eh?"

Naruto grinned and replied.

"I would like that."

It was then that Hana and her canine familiars arrived with her mother Tsume, Kiba and Akamaru along as well, Naruto recalled his training from Fenrix to welcome guests into his clan house every now and then to cement good relations, with that in mind he invited his in laws into his home to help improve relations, especially with Kiba who was no doubt going to be getting used to the idea of having him as a brother in law.

When they entered, Hinata was happy to see them and so was Fenrix as well as Kin, the group were now in the dining hall and soon a good feats was readied, it was small but it was certainly a good feats before them for the time being. It was then that they had two new guests, namely Kurenai and Anko, the Special Jonin had to admit that Naruto's new home was quite the sight and she would then tease the girls and then focused her attention to tease the blonde Genin…

And Anko did just that by asking him if he and his ladies had done anything deeply intimate in all the rooms apart from his own and theirs yet. Naruto naturally blushed bright red while the three women who were married by law to him were also blushing as well as Kurenai at Anko's playful aggressiveness, so much so that Fenrix wondered if this Jonin had a much different interest in the blonde Genin. For now however it seemed that Anko was interested in teasing the blonde Clan head for the time being. Fenrix was well aware of Anko's past as well as her abilities, and couldn't help but admit that she would be quite the handful if she decided to get married.

Kurenai was also talking to Naruto and asking how Hinata was doing, as she was like a mother to the Hyuuga heiress after her real mother's passing. Fenrix respected Kutenai's abilities as well as her nature towards Hinata and he could tell that due to her skills, abilities, as well as her nature, she would no doubt make any man happy to have her as a partner in the years to come.

For now, it seemed that the next few days would be interesting to say the very least.

--------

Three days later...

"Ahhhh....I need a drink...."

Tsunade groaned as she rubbed her forehead as the images of numbers, reports and more flowed into her head as she tried her best to relax but she could only stare at the mountains of paper work and reports that piled up on her desk. The blonde Hokage was managing to control her irritation to some level and hoped that the next knock on her door and the arrival of Shizune was not another sign of more paper work for her.

There was a knock on the door and she sighed, hoping that maybe luck would just be once on her side WITHOUT the usual feeling of dread that accompanied it. It was then that Tsunade finally got her wish as Shizune came in and she was carrying some food and tea on a tray and not a sign of paper work with her. The Hokage sighed happily at this and she vowed that sooner or later, she was going to thank Shizune for being there whenever she needed help.

"Thank you Shizune....I really need a chance to take a break."

Shizune smiled warmly at that as she knew she had made Tsunade's day as she set the tray down.

"Not a problem Tsunade-sama, by the way, I have something to report on Naruto-kun's progress with his....wives and being head of his clan?"

Tsunade drank her tea, letting the drink flow into her and help calm her nerves as she took the snack of fish balls and a small sandwich that Shizune brought her, as soon as she ate the food, she looked at Shizune once more and nodded.

"All right Shizune, go ahead, what sort of trouble is Naruto in this time?"

Shizune smiled a bit and delivered the report to Tsunade.

"Naruto-kun's not in trouble, serious trouble at the moment Tsunade-sama, more like he is making progress and so are Hinata-san, Hana-san, and Temari-san. I heard that Naruto-kun visited Hana-san in the veterinary clinic where she works in and spent the whole day getting to know how she worked in the vet. He also spent some time with her on her breaks and even went with her on a few house calls to take care of the animals here in Konoha."

"Also Naruto-kun has been touring Temari around the village as well as helping her get used to being around the people here in Konoha, apart from the incident with Gai's team which thankfully had not resulted in fighting, Temari is adjusting well enough, though progress has been slow as a number of people are still not happy that she is around. Naruto-kun seems to be doing his best to remedy that as he wants her to be comfortable with being here in the village."

"And lastly, Hinata and Naruto are getting along well, that is, Hinata has not been fainting as much as she normally would when around her long time crush. She seems to be more confident with her own self, she's training harder and showing a lot more confidence than she normally had, not to mention that she is providing help for Naruto-kun to master some parts of his powers as a Dragon Ascendant, and he in turn helps her train and keep her happy. I'd say that Hinata is in heaven at the moment, plus she helps out in the house every now and then."

"Good, how about the relationships between the three?"

"They seems to be adjusting well enough to living together, though they do tend to visit family once in a while, so far, Temari is the one who has no family nearby here in Konoha so she usually is near Naruto along with Hinata, Hana also takes her time to be with Naruto and manages despite her duties in the vet. So far, they seem to be doing well for the past few days, though it is too early to tell."

Tsunade nodded approvingly.

"Very good, I think that maybe when I have the time I will get to chat with them to see how they are handling the progress of living in the same place as Naruto, not to mention the fact that I will have to see how Naruto will be able to handle working with the three women in a mock mission to see how they will work as one if they have to face a threat. Is there anything else I need to know about Shizune?"

"Yes, you do need to have Naruto learn about the...'facts of life' I believe."

Tsunade laughed a bit at that and decided to let that be for another time, as she finished her snack for the day, feeling a bit more refreshed by the food she had been able to get this time around, she got back to doing her work as Shizune took her leave. The blonde Hokage managed to calm her moods and get back to her duties, knowing that the paper work was not going to do itself if she stayed this way in the long run.

Hours later, she felt her body become stiff once more and she felt the need to take a much needed vacation or even a short break. She sighed that at least a good portion of the paper work was not going to come up to her in the middle of the night. She moved her head to the side to get rid of the stiffness and she then heard the cracking in her neck and that was enough to tell her that she had been in the position for too long already and now was the time for her to get some needed rest, however she had a feeling she was missing a drink, namely a good and strong one.

It was then that she was joined by yet another person, and this time, it was someone she knew well enough to be wary of though in a non enemy way.

"Hey Tsunade, you care to share a drink?"

The blonde Sannin sighed at that as she looked at none other than Jiraiya.

"What are you doing here Jiraiya?"

The white haired Sannin grinned as he presented the sake bottles before the Hokage and that was enough to get Tsunade's attention right off the bat, for the past three days, Jiraiya had been doing his own effort in keeping Konoha safe as well as keeping her informed of the latest news happening in and beyond the borders of Fire Country. Despite the fact that she was no fan of his perverted novels, the fact that this allowed him to establish good relations outside of Konoha and with the fans of his books who were in high positions outside and inside of the Land of Fire, the white haired Sannin was well informed of the happenings outside of the village.

He also seemed to be doing his best to make her life a lot easier, he would usually handle several parts of her workload despite the fact that he was not a fan of paper work and would routinely sent her reports on the ongoing work so she didn't have to leave the office and focus on the important issues that were presented to her. She might not show it but she was happy that the people who were close to her were working hard to make sure that she was able to run the village and keep it from going under.

Naturally not everyone thought in the same context, namely three elderly people. But she put those thoughts aside and focused her full attention on the white haired Sannin and the sake he had in his hands, she had a feeling that she had a fairly accurate idea as to why he was here with sake of all things, but she decided to humour herself somewhat and see just what he was going to do.

Jiraiya then replied.

"Kind of obvious isn't Tsunade, I might be a bit late but I think it's time you got to have that drink you told me about."

Tsunade shook her head and spoke seriously to her team mate.

"I'm the Hokage Jiraiya, you realize I have work to do here that is important, right? I have no time for a drink."

"Want to bet on that?"

--------

In the Hokage Residence...

"Ah....that tastes good."

Tsunade sighed as drank the glass of sake in her hand while looking at the place that was now her home after losing the dare with Jiraiya that she was not interested in drinking sake with him, she sat on the soft cushion chair with the bottle of sake before her still full with several others there and there with her Jiraiya who was also drinking sake with her, though in this case, the white haired Sannin was not drunk just yet like she was at the moment. They had just arrived in the Hokage Residence with the sake and were now drinking in private.

The white haired Sannin looked at his team mate and the current Hokage and nodded.

"It is good, I always could tell good sake from the watered down stuff."

"I guess...anyway, this is a good thing for me to finally take a break from all the paper work I have to deal with. Kami I knew that I was going to need a break after dealing with all of the work, not to mention Homura, Koharu and Danzo are giving me even more trouble, so much so that I want to strangle them right now.."

Jiraiya laughed at that and replied.

"I guess I can understand that, that's why I brought you these to help you relax at least."

Tsunade grinned a bit and could tell that Jiraiya was sincere about wanting to help her relax a bit but she decided to try and test him a bit.

"No offense Jiraiya, but if this is an attempt to get me drunk enough for you to make a move on me, then I am not going to make it easy."

Jiraiya snorted and laughed a bit.

"Don't worry, I know what happened the last time I asked you out."

Both Sannin sighed at the memories of the past and went back to drinking another round and then the blonde Hokage spoke seriously somewhat to her team mate.

"There's going to be a lot of things going on soon, I can feel it in my bones....I wish that I had more time and had more help."

"You already have Shizune, Naruto and all the people of Konoha behind you Tsunade to help us all, and you have me to help you out so you don't have to worry about things all that much, you may be Hokage but that doesn't mean you have to do everything yourself you know."

Tsunade raised an eye brow at that.

"Since when did you become so philosophical Jiraiya?"

The Sannin shrugged and replied.

"Like I said, I'm not a complete idiot Tsunade; anyway, before that spell reversed our ages, I grew wiser with age and all that."

The blonde Hokage chuckled a bit at that and then groaned as she felt a creek in her shoulders, they had become stiff all day with all the documents and papers that she had to sign up and work with, not to mention the deals she had to make with the incoming numbers of workers, labourers and more who came to help Konoha rebuild itself.

"Damn...."

"Hold on, I'll deal with it."

Before Tsunade could say anything, the blonde Hokage felt her team mate's hands on her shoulders and then Jiraiya massaged her shoulders as best he could, she could smell a nice smelling scent in the air and the cool sensations on her shoulders told her that the white haired Sannin was using some sort of balm on her shoulders. She couldn't help but moan at that as the tension and pain in her shoulders began to fade and she could feel her shoulders relax a bit more and she decided to relax herself.

Normally she would have socked Jiraiya for laying his hands on her but at the moment she didn't mind as she had to admit that Jiraiya was rather good at this sort of thing and she was in the mood to get some relaxation into her body. And it seemed that he was doing just that as she felt her mind and body be more at ease then before.

"Mmm...."

Jiraiya chuckled and replied.

"I take it that means you liked it?"

Tsunade chuckled somewhat at that and replied.

"I do, but don't let it get to your head....but still, it is good, and where exactly did you learn this?"

"You know me very well Tsunade, so you don't need to ask."

Tsunade sighed and replied.

"I guess not, no doubt you got to learn this when you got around to seducing women...are you doing that to me now?"

Jiraiya coughed at that but spoke seriously.

"I'll admit the thought crossed my mind, but I know how you'd react, besides I' m doing this to help you relax Tsunade, you deserve it after all."

Tsunade smiled and replied to that.

"Thanks....by the way, there's something I have to ask you."

"What?"

Tsunade moved away and turned to look at Jiraiya.

"What did you and Dan talk about?"

Jiraiya was surprised at that, when he and Dan had that conversation, they were somewhere private and the discussion was something that he had kept to himself though he followed Dan's request to be there for Tsunade and give her support in all that she had to deal with now that she was the Hokage of Konoha along with being a young woman again. Dan also asked him to help Tsunade find a good future someday and to keep it a secret from Tsunade. However, he knew that there were two ways Tsunade could get him to say what she wanted to hear, one was to gently persuade him or use a truth serum which was quite good at making as she was a high ranking Medic Nin, or she could beat him up to get the answers. He decided to speak it out.

"He asked me to support you in any way I could, that also included to keep you grounded and to help you when you needed it, also...he asked me to make you happy though I'm going to do that is beyond me."

Tsunade smiled warmly at that as she spoke.

"I see....Dan always wanted me to be happy, and now he asks you to make me happy huh? Quite the surprise that one, him asking that of you Jiraiya."

"I suppose it would be....anyway, that's about it, why are you curious about that Tsunade?"

Tsunade grinned.

"Call it idle curiosity...tell me something Jiraiya....did you dislike Dan when we were together?"

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at that and spoke seriously.

"What do you mean by that?"

Tsunade looked seriously at her team mate and replied.

"I know what I mean Jiraiya....please tell me honestly about how you felt when you saw me and Dan together before, I need to know something important."

"That something you are curious about, being what?"

"Tell me the truth Jiraiya, did you dislike...or even hate Dan when him and I were together."

Jiraiya could tell that Tsunade was not going to let this go and while he had made peace with his feelings towards the past and recently with Dan, he had kept it from Tsunade and kept it well for years, he wondered why was Tsunade asking him these things and knowing that she was not going to let it slide no matter what he said he decided to say it.

"Yeah....I disliked Dan a long time ago when I saw you and him together Tsunade, but as long as you were happy i kept my peace, there, you happy now?"

Tsunade smiled a bit more and spoke.

"You were jealous of Dan and me being together?"

"Yes...."

"I see..."

"Why are you bringing this up anyway, look, I made peace with that a long time ago Tsunade so why are we talking about this?"

Tsunade smiled a bit more, making Jiraiya really confused until she replied.

"I always knew about it Jiraiya, you did do well to hide it from others....but you never could hide anything from me most of all. Dan and I...when we were together before you talked with him and before he and Nawaki returned to Heaven, he told me about how you felt...he knew about your feelings too, how you used your time to train Minato to not focus on things between me and him."

"He told you this?! Why?"

"I guess he wanted me to know that there was someone who loved me and that someone was nearby....so tell me Jiraiya....do you love me? And you tell me the truth, I need to know."

Jiraiya couldn't help but try to feel like he was in a dream of some sort, he wondered if Tsunade was just playing with him for laughs, but he knew that she was not the type for that sort of thing, maybe it was just the sake talking at the moment, but before he could try and stop himself, he spoke to her, a part of him wanting to tell the truth and consequences be damned.

"I do....I have for years, I tried to show it before when....Nawaki died, but you didn't acknowledge me and when Dan came, I was angry...but I kept my peace because he made you happy, though I wished I was the one doing that..."

There was silence as Tsunade and Jiraiya looked at one another and the white haired Sannin wondered just what was going to happen now. He got his answer when Tsunade grabbed him by the front of his outfit and they were facing each other, he got ready to be hit for that, but that hit never came....it did , but not in the way he expected.

Tsunade moved towards him and replied.

"Good."

That might have been one word, but it hit Jiraiya like a punch to the face from Tsunade normally would. The Sannin was stunned by this and spoke.

"What?!"

The blonde Hokage then moved, taking Jiraiya with her to the room and she replied.

"You want to support me and make me happy Jiraiya? Then do it."

The Sannin tried to argue with his team mate but she was not hearing it and she opened the door to her bead room and dragged him into the room.

--------

(If you readers want the lemon for this, then you'll have to wait all right?)

--------

The next day...

Jiraiya groaned out a bit as he felt his body was rather stiff and he wondered just how this had happened, but the very second he recalled what he and Tsunade had done last night he couldn't help but blush bright red, he looked at the sleeping form of Tsunade who was covered by her black satin bed sheets and the sheet did little to hide Tsunade's form.

He felt himself react but managed to focus his thoughts away and had a feeling that Tsunade was not going to be happy the very second she woke up. It was then that Tsunade opened her eyes and spoke to him.

"Morning...."

Jiraiya was surprised at this and looked at Tsunade as the blonde Hokage and Sannin propped herself on her elbows to look at him and the sight of her like that on her bed with only a satin blanket on her no doubt naked form was enough to make Jiraiya blush again, much to Tsunade's amusement. She then moved towards him with the sheet covering her form and she spoke.

"Are you all right?"

"I guess....listen Tsunade I think we...."

"You regret what we did?"

"No! I was just surprised at all this...I thought that..."

"That I was drunk? Nope, before I asked you those things, I purged myself of any sake in my system with my chakra so I was quite sober when you spoke to me."

"You were?!"

"Yep...I am serious about this Jiraiya. I've been given a second chance, and so have you and I wanted this ever since you told me the truth, so there's nothing to be worried about."

Jiraiya thought about it and couldn't help but smile warmly.

"I guess not."

Tsunade and Jiraiya kissed one another and then the blonde Hokage spoke seriously.

"But you have better promise me to not go chasing after women again, because if you do...."

"I know....but after last night, I doubt that I'll be thinking of other women for a long time."

Unknown to them however, there were two people heading to the room while they were still like this.

Naruto and Shizune were knocking at the door of the Hokage residence to find out just why it seemed that the Hokage had not gotten out since morning, the Jonin apprentice of Tsunade was getting worried for her sensei and hoped that she was all right, Naruto was along for the ride as he accompanied the Jonin.

Shizune was about to open the door to Tsunade's bedroom and tell Naruto to wait in the living room of the lobby when she saw the two in the bed, and so did Naruto, just as Tsunade and Jiraiya looked at their direction after hearing the door open.

Both Naruto and Shizune were shocked out of their skins as they looked at both Jiraiya and Tsunade who were both wearing only their undergarments at the moment and amazingly enough....were close to one another. The Jonin was trying to say something for a moment or two until she finally got her thoughts back into order and spoke.

"Tsunade-sama....did you...and Jiraiya-sama actually...."

Tsunade blushed at that and Jiraiya coughed a bit and both looked at one another and sighed, knowing that the jig was up, but they were not unhappy with the fact that they had done it last night or they had been discovered

Naruto however had only this to say.

"YOU AND THE PERVY SAGE DID IT TOGETHER?!"

Tsunade sighed and knew that this day was going to be interesting to say the very least.

--------

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

Hahahaha!!!

That was nice, anyway, I hope that this latest chapter is worth the time and effort for me to make for you, my loyal readers, it's not really a super chapter but I did do my best to make this chapter a good one for you all the read for your pleasure.

Anyway, there will be more chapters soon enough for this series so I hope you all can wait, for I have a special surprise for all the readers of the Naruto Deserted Island series of one shots, I won't say what it is since I'd be spoiling the whole thing and that is the last thing I have in mind of doing to you who have read the story.

As for the other fics, I am currently working on them, namely Naruto Dragon Champion, VanDread Halo The Second Stage and Ladies of the Red Alter Series, not to mention I am working on the lemon section of Naruto Dragon Champion as well.

See you all soon and send me those reviews and comments.


	11. Chapter 11

Naruto Dragon Ascendant

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything related to the said anime and manga series...

Chapter 10

Part 1

Social Party...

( ): Thoughts

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In the Uzumaki Clan fortress...

Hinata woke up and stretched herself as she wiped the sleep from her eyes, as soon as she did so, she decided to do some stretching exercises to get her body awake and ready for the times ahead. As the young Kunoichi got up and dressed into her usual attire, she decided to go out and cook something good for Naruto, she wanted to make something that would be a great treat for her husband to be.

As she got out of her room and was fully dressed in her regular clothes, she left her room and headed for the kitchen after days of living in Naruto's new home, she had developed an understanding of the layout of the fortress and headed to her destination. As she arrived there, she smiled as she began to start cooking, Fenrix had shown her, Hana, and Temari how to operate the kitchen's magical features and soon enough, Hinata was cooking the food she hoped that Naruto would like for breakfast.

An hour or so later, she was happy as the sushi, rice balls, beef hotpot, soup, tea and fruit juice was ready, she smiled at her work and began to take the dishes to the main dining hall, she also decided to cook some extra dishes to make sure that she was able to give food to both Temari-san and Hana-san, she also cooked some hot food for Hana's canine familiars to make sure that they were also fed, she had done the same thing for Akamaru every now and then so this was no different.. As soon as she was done with that part of her plan, she also decided to check on the others to see how they were doing.

She arrived at Hana's room and saw that she was already up, and so was Temari, both women were currently in their usual outfits and were stretching their limbs a bit to get rid of the sleepiness that they had before.

"Good morning Temari-san, Hana-san."

Hana smiled and replied to Hinata's greeting.

"Good morning Hanat-chan....how was your sleep?"

"It was nice....anyway, should we check on N-Naruto-kun if he's awake?"

The others nodded at that as they were curious to see how things were with their husband to be, of course, they kept in mind what happened that time and decided to knock first before opening the door. As they arrived at the door, they knocked and Temari spoke out to see if Naruto could hear them.

"Hey Naruto-san, you inside?"

The three of them waited for a minute or two and they heard his voice.

"Temari-san? Is that you?"

"Yes, can we come in?"

They waited a moment or two more until Naruto replied.

"Sure, come on it, I just got dressed."

They did so and there was Naruto wearing a set of pants as well as a black sleeveless shirt that hugged his frame, the fact that his shirt was sleeveless allowed them to admire his muscle structure as well as the fact that despite living in this fortress, Naruto had developed a light tan that gave his skin a slightly exotic bronze tinge on his skin.

Hinata felt her heart beat a bit more as she was also blushing as she willingly ogled her husband to be, admiring him deeply as she felt her body and mind react..

Temari had to admit that she liked what she saw before him as her eyes wandered all over Naruto's frame as she took in his form for her to enjoy later.

Hana herself was blushing a bit more as she like Hinata and Temari was admiring her husband though she managed to control her emotions and was not showing her blush as much as Hinata did.

Naruto couldn't help but feel himself get a bit more embarrassed at the scrutiny that he was getting from the three women who by law were now his wives. It was not that he was not aroused by the stares, he was, but it did have a tendency to make him feel a bit uneasy as he replied.

"Um....are you three all right?"

That was enough to get the women out of their thoughts for the moment and it was then that Hinata recalled what she had done for her Naruto-kun and spoke to them.

"I-I-I made breakfast today. We should hurry before it gets cold."

Naruto smiled at that and couldn't help but try and see just what sort of food did Hinata cook for this day, as much as he loved ramen he was willing to go and try out what sort of food that Hinata had been able to cook, as they arrived at the table, the four of them began to eat the food and Naruto was quick to offer his praise to Hinata.

"Wow....this is great food Hinata-san! I never knew you were such a great cook!"

And he meant it as well, he had no idea that Hinata was such a good cook and he couldn't help but show his appreciation to her for the food that she made for the time being. This was something that he was sure he was going to get very much used to as the thought of eating such good food from Hinata's own work..

Hinata smiled shyly at the praise coming from Naruto and the same praise came from Hana who had sampled Hinata's own food and Temari herself had to give her credit for being able to cook such food before.

Fenrix finally arrived with Kin, the two had been busy with some important documents as well as some supplies that were going to be used in projects that would help the Clan get some new income, the Dragon Ascendant decided to have Naruto learn to create new items that would fetch a good price in the market that would help keep the Clan well supplied as well as having their own money to use apart from the payments that they would gain when they were once more taking missions.

As the members of Clan Uzumaki ate their breakfast, they spent the time to relax in the dining hall for as long as they could and when they felt that they were fully relaxed, they decided to head to the Training Hall for some needed training in order to keep themselves in good fighting form. They had managed to establish a routine for their training workouts, Naruto and Fenrix would start first as the senior Ascendant and the young Ascendant began to train by using their powers and when the time came for them to use their weapons, Fenrix used a simple katana while Naruto used his twin bladed sword.

The three women as well as Kin were treated to a very interesting show as both Fenrix and Naruto fought one another with consummate skill in battle, Fenrix attacked great skill and speed which Naruto was able to match well enough despite the fact that Fenrix was a better swordsman in sheer technical skill alone.

Despite the fact that Naruto's weapon had two blades for him to attack and defend with at the moment, the senior fighter was not someone that he could attack easily as Naruto had to use his speed and ability to see better than a regular human to match the speed of the attacks of his sensei when he had to block them.

The two would then use their Elemental Manipulation styles to add extra power to their attacks, coating their blades with the five elements and attacking and defending at the same time. They also made a point of changing their Elements in order to even things up as well as develop Naruto's ability to control the Elements a lot better. As soon as they were done using their swords the two placed them aside and Fenrix began to teach the girls while Naruto began to meditate and rest after the gruelling session.

Fenrix began to explain to Temari, Hana, and Hinata how to tap into the elements as he explained that despite their lack of the Dragon Ascendant blood, they could manipulate the elements in their own fashion, considering that Temari's abilities lay in the use of wind due to her iron fan, Fenrix began to teacher how to focus her chakra to move the air currents without the use of her fan and while it took a while Temari was able to being her first step to tap into her element. Fenrix also taught several defensive and offensive moves to Temari to help herself when she might not be able to use her fan in combat.

After he gave Temari the exercises, the senior Ascendant then directed his attention to Hana and began to teach her some basic moves and skills that used the same elements of the Taijutsu style that he taught Naruto that served as the foundation of the Elemental Taijutsu that Naruto was now able to use in combat, The moves were very simple at first glance, but Hana was able to see that if the strikes were delivered with the right speed and force, they could inflict considerable damage in combat. The Ascendant also taught her a special technique that involved using her chakra to actually give her claws like that of a predator to attack her foes with. This was a lot harder but when she tested the attack, it sliced deep gashes on the lump of earth that he gave her as a target.

Fenrix then directed his attention towards Hinata and helped her improve her own Byakugan by helping her focus it's power to a single point to increase her accuracy to increase her attack power along with showing her how to actually attack with her chakra at a safe distance. By showing her how to actually unleash her chakra for longer range attacks. Hinata's chakra control was good, which was due to the fact that as a Hyuuga who relied on the Byakugan she would need to be able to have excellent control, something that would be the key in her own training as she began to train with the Ascendant who watched her attacks and defensive movers carefully.

He planned to teach her some techniques that would allow her to take her chakra control to a higher level if she needed it.

As the training wore on for the day, the four people there under the observation of Fenrix and Kin who watched them in their training as Naruto took some time to spare with his three brides, Naruto had developed enough control over a portion of his strength to not harm them while training as Temari used her fan to attack him with gusts of wind while Hana attacked with her regular arsenal along with her canine familiars and despite her reluctance, Hinata spared with Naruto as well.

Naruto had to defend himself from all three women as they were fighting him in the three on one sparring session for him to get used to the feeling of facing multiple attacks from all sides and from three different attackers with three different styles of attack and defence. This form of training seemed odd at first but it proved to be a great aid for not just Naruto to grow used to fighting multiple foes, but also for the three to get used to working together as a team when they were soon going to fight as one.

Temari unleashed her attacks and Hana used this to attack close up with Hinata who would then use her Byakugan to not only spot Naruto's chakra and keep him in their sights, Naruto had to admit that that this method of training was pretty intense and it could really help him in his progress. As this went on, Kin decided to ask Fenrix if she could go and check on the door to see if there were any guests coming along. Fenrix nodded at her to go ahead and do what she wanted and Kin left.

Fenrix watched patiently as the four of them were currently training and sparring as he occasionally gave advice to his student and his wives. He turned to see none other than Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke being escorted by Kin. The Ascendant greeted the Jonin who smiled back as they shook hands.

"Good to see you Kakashi Hatake, you came to see how Naruto is doing?"

Kakashi nodded and replied.

"Yep, and it seems that he is getting quite the work out."

"That he is at the moment."

The others watched as Naruto and the others continued to spar with one another while moving through the Training Hall, Naruto was truly pushing himself well as he managed to block and evade the combined assault of Hana with her canine familiars, Hinata's Byakugan and her Gentle Fist, along with Temari's attacks of wind. While his Dragon scaled skin could handle the damage well enough on it's own, Naruto knew that his natural armour was still young by most standards and he needed to get stronger in order to make it stronger for extra protection in battle when the time came.

Sakura watched the action and was impressed as the three women who were now married to Naruto by law were busy giving the blonde Genin a serious work out in this moment. She could see that the sparring match was more than enough to push Naruto since the three had such contrasting style when it came to fighting an opponent. She had to give them credit for their combined assault on Naruto as Naruto managed to defend himself fairly well despite facing them all at once.

Kakashi looked on in approval, though it had only been a number of days since the whole thing of Hinata, Hana, and Temari being married to Naruto, the four seemed to be able to work well enough on their own, while he had never met Hana personally, he was well aware of her reputation as a member of the Inuzuka Clan as well as the best vet in the village next to her mother Tsume, he also knew full well about Temari's abilities having seen her in combat before, along with being skilled with that fan in more ways than one. And of course, despite not having the same level of skill as her cousin Neji, Hinata's skills in combat plus her Byakugan was going to prove to be a fearsome asset in the battles to come. He was actually looking forward to seeing them all in action once they were given the go ahead by Tsunade to start taking missions again.

Sasuke looked on at Naruto and couldn't help but wonder just how far Naruto had grown, he was still eager to see just how good the blonde Genin had become ever since those battles he had seen Naruto take part in. He himself had been training for a while now and to see how he would match up was going to be something that he was actually looking forward to. He gritted his teeth as he thought of the way Itachi had spoken of Naruto when he had seen his brother again, and he recalled how close Naruto came to slaying Itachi himself in combat when he himself couldn't even come close enough to harming Itachi.

Fenrix saw that and gave a slight growl that was a warning. He knew Sasuke couldn't hear or notice it, but it allowed him to burn away some of his own tension. He couldn't blame Sasuke about his anger and desire to kill his brother, but nevertheless, he was not liking the way Sasuke was going out about that all.

As soon as the morning's training was now officially over, the rest of the group decided to leave the fortress to do other things for the time being before having some lunch. However, Fenrix decided to have a chat with the Uchiha as he had a feeling this was going to be the key to something that he felt he had to do.

--------

In a book shop...

Hinata, Hana, and Temari were currently shopping for books, in this case, Hinata decided to look for some cooking books to help cook some new food items for Naruto while Hana was currently looking for any new medical text books and for Temari, she decided to look for any special novels that she loved reading since she was a young girl back in Suna. They also decided to read each other's books in order to learn more about each other

The tough blonde sister of Gaara and Kankurou might not show it, but she was a book addict and loved reading good novels for her free time as well as reading anything that would help her in order to relax and enjoy a decent story. Temari looked at a selection and shook her head, some of them she was familiar with and look for something else to read for the moment. She glanced at her sister wives as Hana was reading a medical text while Hinata was looking at a nearby cook book to add to her collection and use when she had the time.

She had to admit that getting to know the two was kind of nice, she couldn't help but find Hinata's long time crush on Naruto as very funny and somewhat endearing to say the least as she began to see what sort of life Naruto had long before she ever met him back then when she and her siblings finally arrived on the scene long before. The blonde Genin also had to admit that getting to know her fellow women who were married to Naruto was actually very interesting to her. She also had to admit that Hana's family life was rather interesting and hearing how her mother was and her little brother, Temari had to admit that it was kind of nice to know about how Hana was able to keep things in the family fairly balance. For the moment, the three of them finally met in the main area of the book store as they looked at their purchases.

Hana was the very first to speak.

"I'm done with my purchases for the day, what about you two?"

Temari nodded at that and showed her own selection of books, namely the books had the names of several good authors and replied.

"I have, it's been a while since I got some new books so I hope that these will be good to read."

Hinata also nodded and showed a number of cook books as well. She hoped that the books will have some brand new recopies that she would be able to use in order to cook new dishes for them and for Naruto when she got the ingredients for the dishes ready for cooking. The Hyuuga heiress was more than willing to show them the books that she had been able to purchase for the day.

"I am as well, these books are going to be very good when we get back."

Temari and Hana looked at the books and had to admit that Hinata was really serious about the food she wanted to cook for Naruto, this made them wonder just what she was going to cook this time when they were going to have lunch and dinner. As they were about to ask the Hyuuga heiress just what was she planning to cook this time , they were then approached by two female Jonin, who they were quick to recognize as Yuhi Kurenai and Anko Mitarashi, the two Jonin were quick to smile in greeting as the excitable Jonin who was the friend of Yuhi Kurenai.

"Hey there ladies, having some free time to do some shopping ?"

Hinata nodded and so did Hana as the elder Inuzuka spoke to the two as she was very familiar with the two of them since she had been able to work with both Kurenai and Anko on a few times and she knew that the two of them were capable ninja but she was curious as to what was going on. She knew that since they were on duty Jonin, both Kurenai and Anko would have to be on duty for the moment.

"What are you two doing here Kurenai-san, Anko-san, shouldn't you be doing rotation duty today?"

Kurenai nodded and replied.

"We were, but since we finished our shift, the ANBU sent two of their group to cover for the two of use for the time being, so we're here to take a break."

"Right, but we're also here to ask if Hinata-chan has time to come with us for a brief strip."

Hinata was curious about this and wondered if she should and Hana could tell that Hinata was interested and with that in mind she took hold of the bag that held Hinata's books and the Hyuuga heiress was very much surprised by the whole thing as Hana spoke to Hinata.

"Don't worry, I'll drop these off at the mansion while you spend some time with Kurenai-san and Anko-san."

"But I want to star reading those to make some new dishes f-f-for Naruto-kun."

Kurenai then spoke.

"That's very good to hear Hinata-chan, but we have something that can help even you chances as well."

That was more than enough as both Jonin brought Hinata along with them as both Hana and Temari wondered just what the two Jonin had in mind for their fellow sister-wife as the term went. Seeing that they had some things to finish once they got back to the fortress that they now called home, they decided to head on back, the two of them knew that since Hinata was with her sensei, then she would be fine. Nevertheless, they were still very much curious as to what the women had in mind for their companion.

--------

In one of the various clothing shops in Konoha...

Hinata wondered just what the reason was that her sensei Kurenai and Anko had managed to bring her here, this was the very first time that she had ever been in a place like this as she rarely shopped for any clothes that she felt she didn't need. She preferred her normal clothes but Anko said that she was going to need some other types of clothes that would help her in being able to flirt with her husband.

That was more than enough to convince the Hyuuga heiress to travel with her Jonin sensei and her sensei's best friend, as soon as they arrived there, the Hyuuga heiress was awed by all the clothes she could see that were made for women . She couldn't help but be awed by all the outfits that were there before her, there were regular clothes to be sure, but the two Jonin had brought her several articles of clothing, one of the said articles of clothing was more than enough to make Hinata take notice of it.

Hinata blushed deeply and replied.

"I-I-I can't possibly wear this!!! It's so..."

Anko replied.

"Revealing? That's the whole point of wearing it Hinata-chan. You want to catch Naruto-kun's eye don't you? I think your regular wardrobe won't cut it, besides the colours look perfect on you, don't you think?"

"B-B-But....it's so expensive, I don't have that much money on me right now...."

Kurenai then replied.

"You don't have to Hinata-chan, I'll be paying for the dresses that we're going to be for today."

Hinata turned and looked at Kurenai with awe, she had never expected this from her sensei of all things and she couldn't help but feel very happy at the offer made by Kurenai to pay for the outfit, but she was then surprised when she realized that they mentioned that they were going to buy dresses.

"Y-Y-You mean, I have to b-buy more?"

Anko nodded vigorously at that and replied.

"Of course you do! You can't rely on that one outfit alone no matter how good it is, flirting with a man requires variety! You need to spice things up whenever you can and also look the part as well as move like it. Besides, there are going to be occasions in your young life where you need to be able to fit the occasion in question."

Kurenai sighed a bit but couldn't help but agree with some of what Anko said as she knew that sometimes to catch a man's eye a woman must have the right clothing to fit the occasion, besides that, the clothes that they were going to have could be used by Hinata on other occasions. She then decided to assure her student that they were not going to be buying merely clothes that allowed her to be able to flirt with Naruto

"Hinata-chan, Anko has a point, besides we are going to be buying you some other clothes that you can use when you and Naruto-kun are going. There will be situations where you will need to be dressed to look attractive to your husband, besides you know that as a member of the Hyuuga Clan there are occasions where you need to dress for the occasion right?"

Hinata nodded at that, when she was younger, there were times that she was asked to dress in a formal event with her family, so she was well aware of what Kurenai was implying to her, however this was the first time for her to have bought such dresses for her own use so it was understandable that she was somewhat reluctant to buy those.

However, Kurenai and Anko were going to do what they could to help Hinata get used to the idea of buying dresses for herself so she could be more intimate for Naruto when they were with together. As they got the dresses together, the two Jonin decided to take Hinata out for her to get some tips on how to be intimate with Naruto, namely by visiting another nearby book store that had a selection of books that was quickly recognized as the kind usually reserved for adult consumption.

The red eyed Jonin quickly guessed just what the books in that section were and she was not in the mood for Hinata to find those books just yet, not when now was not the right time for such things. Kurenai managed to stop Anko from dragging Hinata to the red section which was off limits, making Hinata wonder what was so wrong about those places and Anko moaned.

"Oh come on Kurenai-chan....we should get Hinata-chan some of those books, that way she can really make sure she's got a well rounded education on how to be intimate with her husband."

Kurenai was not in the mood for Hinata to get to THAT part just yet as she shook her head at Anko, sometimes she wished that Anko was not such a pervert in her own right, she had no intention of halting Anko's antics but when it involved Hinata, she was more than ready to put her foot down.

"Anko, it's better that we show Hinata all that when she's going to be closing in on her wedding with Naruto-kun."

"Why? I think some early on education is good for her."

Anko pointed out to Kurenai with a serious but playful grin on her face, Kurenai sighed and the red eyed Jonin replied.

"Anko...seriously, are you sure you want to expose Hinata to all that when she's not yet marrying Naruto-kun? Besides that, the Hokage did mention to me that they were not supposed to be doing that at so early a stage."

Anko nodded about that but she was not going to give up just yet as she came up with a very good argument.

"True, but the Hokage did mention that they can always take birth control pills to make sure they don't have babies early before they are married, and Tsunade-hime didn't say anything about them learning about HOW it's done, besides Kurenai-chan, don't you think Hinata-chan deserves to know just what to do if and when she and Hinata decide to go ahead and..."

THUMP!"

Both women turned and realized that the painfully shy and timid Hyuuga heiress heard the whole exchange between them and she reacted in the normal way, she fainted.

"HINATA!!!"

It took the two a few minutes to bring Hinata back to her senses while the others who were there moved on, they had not heard the conversation between the two Jonin but they were able to see Hinata faint and thought that the whole thing had something to do with the heat in the shop, unaware of what was going on between the three women, as soon as Hinata got back up, Anko apologized for making Hinata faint like that while grinning a bit at her, while Kurenai sighed a bit more. She knew that Anko had a point, but she wanted to make sure that Hinata was first familiar with how to act around Naruto in the right fashion.

It took some time but finally Anko agreed to reserve the viewing of the books as well as their purchasing from the red section of the shop for a much better time until Hinata was able to grasp the basics of flirting before getting down to the seduction part. That was to Kurenai's relief as she was not in the mood to let Hinata see such things just yet. Of course she was still planning to let Hinata know about it, but she was NOT going to let Hinata explore the other side of such books, the idea of it was just plain wrong in her mind.

They managed to purchase some books that talked about how a woman should approach a man in a more relaxed setting, what to talk about in the first stage, how to tell if a man is interested in conversation, how to use physical cues to get a man's attention, to find common ground, and interest. Such things seemed to be basic but Kurenai could tell that Hinata was interested greatly in understanding such things in order to get closer to Naruto.

Hinata took those books with her and soon she was more than happy that she decided to go with the two Jonin, and with the shopping done for the day, she was bale to head back with both Kurenai and Anko in tow, as the two women were very interested in seeing the internal caverns of Naruto's home despite visiting the place previously.

--------

In the Hokage Tower...

Tsunade drank a cup of tea as she looked over the reports for the week's construction efforts on the rebuilding of the village, she couldn't help but feel some level of relief that a good number of buildings were rebuilt and a section of the destroyed wall was being put back together once more by the stone masons that were hired for that particular part of the job. As she was done with some of the paperwork at an early date, she decided to take a look at any other workloads that she needed to take care of for the time being.

Finding none for the moment, the blonde Hokage drank her tea and decided that since she had no pressing matters, decided to call forward Shizune, as soon as her Jonin apprentice arrived, she spoke to her seriously on the matter in her mind.

"You wanted to see me Tsunade-sama?"

"Yes, can you drop by Naruto-kun's home and ask him to come here to the Hokage Tower, I think it's about time I had a chat with him."

Shizune blushed bright red at that and nodded as she left to do what Tsunade asked of her, and as soon as she left, the blonde Hokage relaxed and began to wonder just how she was going to start out the conversation with Naruto about the topic she had in mind for him to learn that she knew was an important thing for a young man his age.

She grinned a bit at that and soon she turned to as she heard a knock on her window and she turned and there was Jiraiya, she sighed as she opened the window and the white haired Sannin walked into the room with a wide smile on his face. This naturally made the blonde Sannin and the only female Hokage in Konoha raise her eyebrows a bit as she had a feeling that her team-mate, spy, and new found love has something cooking in his mind.

"What's gotten you so happy all of a sudden Jiraiya?"

"Other than the fact that I get to be with the woman I loved since I was a young man?"

Tsunade sighed with a slight blush and replied.

"Yes, other than that, what's on your mind? And, if you are planning to try and convince me to have the room sealed off so we can have some PRIVATE time here in the Hokage Office then that answer is no."

"Damn....oh well, I had to try but there is always next time, seriously though, I think what you're doing with Naruto is a good thing, I was kind of disappointed that they never taught the art of seducing women to the Shinobi here in Konoha, all young men should be able to learn how to be with a woman."

Tsunade sighed at that and then Jiraiya spoke next.

"Another thing I want to mention is that I want to be able to teach him some things about women too."

Tsunade glared a bit at Jiraiya and spoke.

"I certainly hope you're not going to turn him into a super pervert like you, I can handle you well enough....but two of you?"

Jiraiya laughed at that for a bit and then replied.

"Not a bad idea, but on a more serious note, he has to learn how to not only flirt with a woman, but how to touch, kiss, caress, that sort of thing, it'll certainly help him really get closer to the more intimate side of a relationship after all, just as you need the emotional, mental, and spiritual parts, you do need the physical side and the last thing I want is Minato's son bungling about like an idiot when he and his wives get frisky with one another."

Tsunade sighed a bit and had to agree that Jiraiya was right about that part, as important as it was to establish mental, emotional, and spiritual ties with the one you loved, if you could establish physical ties as well, it would be a serious boon in a relationship. Still, the idea of Jiraiya teaching Naruto those things was certainly something that was going to take some getting used to in a lot of ways.

"You sure about that?"

Jiraiya nodded eagerly and spoke out.

"I am his sensei when I taught him the Rasengan after all, besides that, I do have a great deal of connection with Naruto and I do owe it to his parents, besides I taught Minato everything he knew about how he would spend his time with Kushina in private, how else do you think they were able to have Naruto to begin with? If things had been different, Naruto would have had several siblings."

Tsunade blushed bright red at that and sighed as she knew that he did have a very solid point.

"All right, you can teach him, but do it in private all right?"

Jiraiya nodded at that and the white haired Sannin was eager to begin teaching Naruto the art of being able to bring a woman to the heights of release, after all, he had done the same with Tsunade already and he was interested to do it once more when they got the chance. He then decided to talk to Tsunade once more at that moment.

"By the way Tsunade, you mind if I show a few more tricks I picked up to you?"

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya with some surprise and replied.

"Now?!"

"Of course not, I may be a super pervert but I'm not a voyeur and I know how much of a ruckus it would be if anyone found out about our new relationship, but maybe later then."

Tsunade sighed at that and kissed Jiraiya and replied to his ear.

"All right, after work and when I am going to be done teaching Naruto how to be intimate with women then, so try to be patient."

Jiraiya grinned at that.

--------

Later...

Naruto wondered just what was he doing here in the Hokage Tower under Tsunade's personal request and then the Jonin apprentice of Tsunade directed him to another room instead of the Hokage's office, that made the blonde Genin even more curious as to why this was going on in the first place. As he got there he was greeted by the Hokage herself as she walked into the room with a slight smile on her face along with a number of scrolls, books and charts.

This was more than enough for Naruto to know that this was going to be one of the things he never liked all that much and that was studying, but knowing that the Hokage was taking the time to even teach him some things was more than enough to make him hold his tongue. However it seemed that despite the fact that he didn't say anything, the blonde Hokage was more than able to tell that he was curious about what was she going to talk to him about.

Naturally she replied.

"If you're wondering what this is about, it's the session I said that you were going to have to learn how to be intimate with your wives Naruto-kun, you have to learn this at some point in your life."

Naruto instantly blushed as his face was now bright red at that as he now understood just what was going on before him now. He wished he could turn this down, but he was not going to do that since he might offend Tsunade and despite him being more than able to stand up to her in combat she was very much a good person despite her temper and he respected her now, so there was no way he was going to court her wrath at this moment. However he still had to lodge out some level of protest so he could at least show some level of argument over the whole thing.

"Do I really have to do this Tsunade?"

The blonde Hokage nodded at that and replied.

"You have to do it Naruto-kun, being intimate with a woman does not mean that you two do the deed immediately, you do need to make things right for the two of you or else you're both going to mess it up. Jiraiya plans to teach you the man's way to be intimate with women, and I will be teaching you the way to be intimate with women in the women's perspective."

The blonde Genin couldn't help but blush harder at the thought of learning things about women from the perverted sage. He was about to protest when Tsunade replied.

"Jiraiya might be a super pervert which he agrees to happily....but he does know what he's talking about Naruto-kun, so you should listen for the time being all right?"

Naruto didn't know how to take that but decided that maybe he should reserve judgement on the matter until he actually got to hear what the Pervy Sage had to say about this sort of thing, he hoped that what Tsunade was going to teach him was going to be something he was going to be able to stomach. The blonde Genin was going to get more than he bargained for as the blonde Hokage began to explain how to talk to women, how to act around them, what to look for in the face and the body movements as well as actions to tell how a woman really thinks and feels, she also taught him how to touch a woman in a way that was appropriate and also considered to be the mark of a man with good intentions. All these lessons were not so bad as he listened in, this actually helped him get some insight when looking and talking to women. The blonde Hokage also told Naruto how to see the physical actions that women would make if they were interested in a man as well, this way he was not going to make a mistake on a certain gesture or action done by a woman to get his attention.

Tsunade wanted to make sure that Naruto was able to get the right impression about women before he got the wrong ideas and before Jiraiya had his way with his godson, not that she doubted that Naruto was going to learn a lot about how to physically be intimate with woman in the way the men liked, but she wanted to make sure to balance Naruto's knowledge with how the women liked it when they were intimate with men.

She did so by showing Naruto several scrolls and explaining everything on them along with even showing him several graphs about the bodies of women and pointing out the special areas of a woman's body that was going to get him the best response and how to do it in a way that women would like.

Needless to say Naruto was going to be very familiar with women as soon as Jiraiya taught him how men pleasured women soon enough. As soon as he was done, he had to admit that with Tsunade providing him some training and understanding on how to be able to communicate with women he would have a better chance in getting to know his brides a bit more.

As soon as Naruto was in the clear, Tsunade sighed a bit and relaxed herself, it had been hard, but in her mind, it was going to be worth the effort in the long run as this would ensure that the Clan Naruto was now head of would be able to adapt and grow as a result of it all. The blonde Hokage then wondered just how would Naruto use the knowledge that she had taught to him, but she sighed a bit more and relaxed herself. As long as Naruto understood the rules that governed male and female relationships, he would be fine.

She then heard the door open and in walked none other than Jiraiya who smiled at her with a very deep meaning in that smile, she sighed and smiled back at Jiraiya as the white haired Sannin moved to her and began to massage her shoulders, helping her relax a bit more for the moment, she moaned out a bit more in contentment and spoke to the Sannin.

"That feels nice..."

"I can see and hear that Tsunade, anyway, how did the lectures go?"

"Pretty good, but it's too early to tell until Naruto puts all that training and lessons I gave him into practice, anyway, when are you going to make your own moves on teaching him how to pleasure a woman the way a man would?"

Jiraiya grinned and replied.

"Ahhhh....that's a secret."

Tsunade snorted and replied.

"I really dislike it when you say that."

Jiraiya grinned at that and soon as they were finally able to relax themselves for this moment as he began to think about how to best teach Naruto how to pleasure a woman in the way a man should learn how to pleasure a woman. He was deeply interested in this and he had no doubt that it was going to be something that he was going to take some deep pride in doing this when he had the chance.

For now however, he and Tsunade were going to have some private time and they intended to use it well.

As for Naruto he was able to head back to his new fortress/home but not before grabbing a good meal from the Ichiraku Ramen Stand like before, eating a good deal of ramen while he finally managed to pay for it and that was to the happiness of both Teuchi and Ayame. As soon as he was done he arrived to his home and was greeted by Fenrix.

"So how was your day Naruto?"

"Pretty....interesting, where are the others?"

"They're already here actually, Hinata and the others are busy with some of the cooking after they had taken the time to catch a break with some rest after all that they had to do for the day. Anyway, we need to head in and check on how things are with them at the moment."

As the two Ascendants arrived in the kitchen they could see Hinata cooking while Hana and Temari were helping out along with Kin as the four of them were busy learning how to cook, much to the amusement and surprise of Naruto as he had never thought ht would be seeing this before him at this moment. It was kind of nice to look at in his perspective. Since seeing this was something of a rare thing.

It was at dinner time that the results were revealed, Hinata was a great cook while both Hana and Temari were all right by most standards, and Kin was getting there, but they had time for that as they decided to dig into their dinner. Afterwards, Naruto and the girls decided to relax for the night and after an hour or so of rest and simple exercises, they decided to get some sleep.

--------

Three days later...

It was nearly halfway to the end of the second week that Tsunade had ordered the new clan headed by Naruto to not participate in any missions. This meant that soon, Naruto and his wives by law were now going to be taking part in missions once more. This was something that all of them were looking forward to, Naruto naturally was the most eager for the chance to get into some action, and the others were eager for it as well.

However, it was also the day that a special gala event was going to be hosted, every so often the Feudal Lords would host a special ceremony in a host village that would be considered a high ranking event in all the Lands, this was considered a good event and it would boost the prestige of the ninja village and the clans there considerably, this also helped the Feudal Lords look at the new generations of the currently existing clans in the host village. In a way this was similar to the Chuunin exams but in a less combat oriented setting. This also seemed to be good time for Konoha to show to the other Feudal Lords that while they were rebuilding, they were still able to function as a village of ninja and that was going to be a serious boon to the recovery efforts as this would mean a chance that the Feudal Lords would provide

The Clans of Konoha were going to be visited as of today as they were going to be hosts of this event. Therefore it was not surprising that the village was going to be very busy, as much as reconstruction was needed by the village, the fact that the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire was the one who was providing the funds for the event as well as the supported needed to make it happen meant that this was too good to turn down.

Tsunade knew that this was going to be something that she was going to have to get ready for, this was something that started after the Shinobi Wars and it had proven successful as the villages that had hosted these gala events profited well from the support and while Konoha's monetary supplies were still good, the money they had was focused completely on the village's reconstruction efforts, so they were going to need all the money that they could get to help rebuild the village as well as ease the tensions there in the Lands after the battles that happened when Suna and Sound were attacking the village, the Feudal Lords were all going to be here, including the Feudal of the Land of Waves who apparently was eager to be there as this was the first time he was going to be attending such a thing due to the rise of economic gains for the Land he controlled. The Feudal Lord of the Land of Wind was also going to attend to help mend the relations between his land and that of Konoha's as well, this was good chance to heal wounds caused by the recent fight and further added weight as to why this was something that none of the people in Konoha could afford to pass up.

This meant that all the ninjas who were part of Konoha's prominent clans were to attend this gala and were to be in formal attire, something that was going to be a real change from the regular pace that the village normally dealt with. The Hokage had already dispatched messages about the soon to come event to all the clans in Konoha and she knew for a fact that Naruto was going to have to get ready for this kind of event as this would help show to all the Feudal Lords that not only was there a new Clan with Kekkai Genkai in Konoha, but it had powerful connections as well.

Though she had to admit that Naruto was certainly not going to be into this sort of thing all that much. Everything was set for the grand gala several days in advance and tonight it was going to be the main event, already the feudal Lords were coming in and despite the current repairs to the village they were able to get good accommodations for the Feudal Lords and their guests as well.

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In the Uzumaki Clan Fortress...

Naruto looked over at the letter once more that was amazingly brought in by none other than Kakashi himself and he naturally spoke out his opinion as he normally did.

"Do I really have to do this Kakashi-sensei?"

The Jonin nodded at that.

"You have to Naruto-kun, you might not like it but it is the best way for the Feudal Lords to know that there is a new clan in the village of Konoha."

"But wasn't it already known?"

"Maybe, but at the time it was not officially announced to the rest of the Feudal Lords, when you showed up, you were the only member of your new clan and the current head of the clan as well so it made sense that some of the Feudal Lords were not aware of it, and only the people here in Konoha were aware that you were head of your own Clan due to it being announced by Sarutobi-sama before...."

"I know....so there's no way around this Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi shook his head and replied.

"I don't think so, but look on the bright side, at least you get to be able to socialize and being able to be social with the Feudal Lords, the other clans, and the prominent citizens of the land is a good way for a clan to grow and prosper, Hinata's own clan had to do the same thing when they started out along with a number of other clans though some might not take to the whole thing all that much every now and then. A newly born clan like yours is going to need to make alliances and ties with not just the clans here in Konoha but outside of the village and even the Land of Fire as well."

That was when the two were joined by Fenrix who also spoke seriously.

"Kakashi-sensei has a valid point Naruto, as head of your clan, this is good situation to improve alliances though in this case, you will be making alliances outside of Konoha and that will be a major advantage for you and the clan in general."

Naruto thought it over and sighed a bit more as he knew that both his Jonin sensei and his sensei in the Ascendant arts were right on the target on this one, this was too good a situation for him to pass up at all. But he then replied that he had one flowing problem.

"I don't have anything good to wear, I think wearing my usual clothes is going to make me a laughingstock the second I get there."

Fenrix however smiled and replied.

"You need not worry, we have some very good clothes that I believe you can use for this particular occasion."

Meanwhile, having been informed of the soon to come gala event, the three other women who were part of the Uzumaki Clan were now in a bit of a problem with what to wear. Temari was familiar with such events as being the daughter of the previous Kazekage and so were Hana and Hinata though the Inuzuka Clan never took part in such things. They knew that as members as well as wives of a new clan they would have to dress up for this event and not come there in their usual attire and not appear with any weapons on their person.

Temari decided to dig into her collection of clothes that she had used in special events. She hoped that it was going to be good as well as give her husband to be something that was visually appealing to him.

Hinata also decided to finally wear one of the article of clothing that she had been given by both Kurenai and Anko as well, she then hoped that Naruto-kun was going to like her choice of clothing for the night.

Hana in her case decides to go to a still open clothing shop and decides to pick a dress that she knew was going to be good for such an occasion, and also she hoped it would look good for Naruto to see her in.

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Later...

Naruto sighed as he checked himself once more in the mirror to see how he looked and while he was slightly unused to the clothes he was now wearing at the moment, the sleek deep black with blue trim suit was something that he was not used to, there was also several white flame patterns on the back as well of the suit. But the suit was comfortable as well as showing his full form without being too showy. The black suit was followed by a pair of comfortable pants that was also black with blue trim and had the same white flame patterns as well. To complete that, he had some comfortable shoes as well. There was a long cloth belt there that had the longer lengths in a knot and there in the middle of the belt.

Fenrix looked his charge over and nodded, he too wore the same style of suit but his suit was white with red flame patterns as well as green trim.

"I fail to see what the problem is Naruto, you look fine to me at the moment, a good choice befitting your standing as head of your clan."

"I know....it's just that I'm not really used to this sort of thing Fenrix-sensei."

Fenrix nodded at that and replied as he walked over and placed his hand reassuringly on Naruto's shoulder.

"You can handle it, just relax and take your time, besides, you can take cues from your wives, as I can wager a bit that they had done this before in their lives before they were married to you. SO as long as you keep your cool and tyr not to worry about it too much, you'll do fine, i can also help you if you need my help in getting through all the things happening tonight."

Naruto was shocked to say the very least, and not in a bad way as he found himself staring at Hinata, Hana, and Temari...all he could say was...

"Wow..."

Fenrix nodded as well as he gazed at the three women.

"Wow is right Naruto, I think you and your wives are going to turn quite a number of heads tonight. I think we should get going now don't you?"

All three women nodded at that and so did Naruto who was still struck speechless by the dresses being worn by the three women who he was married to. Kin also came along though she was dressed in a more female variant of Fenrix's outfit.

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In the large public Hall...

The hall was filled with the delegates from all over the lands as the Feudal Lords were currently deep in discussion on the matters before them all, as well as also to unwind and enjoy the calm atmosphere; it was hard for some of them to imagine that the village had been attacked only weeks before. All the restaurants and food services that were unharmed by the fighting contributed all that they could to cater for the event that was going to be a whole night affair. As the Feudal Lords moved about, they were greeted by the Konoha Council along with the heads of the Clans and the second generation of the clans.

The various high ranking clans of the village of Konoha were there such as the Yamanaka Clan, the Nara Clan, the Akamichi Clan, and the Hyuuga Clan. All of them were dressed for the occasion while those Jonin who were there were still dressed in their regular outfits as they were going to be part of the event's security detail. Tsunade was dressed in a more formal version of her regular clothes as well as the regular outfit of the Hokage, as she too knew that despite her private dislike of the change of dress she had to look the part of the Hokage for the moment. Shizune also wore a more formalized kimono to look the part and also was wearing some level of makeup that added to her own looks.

Tsunade always wondered how to make sure that Shizune was happy, not that she never appreciated Shizune's efforts and presence, but she wanted Shizune to be happy as well, Shizune was already getting to the age of thirty in a few years and she was going to be soon unwed, she wanted Shizune to find a good man and one day raise a family of her own. She had hoped that someday she would be able to find the right man for Shizune but for now she was happy that she was around to help her run Konoha well.

The only one who wasn't dressed up was naturally Jiraiya who was currently by her side and taking in the sights before him, she sighed at that and turned to speak to Shizune.

"Has there been any word on Naruto-kun?"

"Nothing yet Tsunade-sama but Kakashi did deliver the letter so Naruto-kun should be arriving soon."

"Good....he shouldn't miss this, it's too important for him to miss."

The rumours of a new clan being born in the village of Konoha was something that really got the interest of the people here at the moment and it was not long before the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire spoke to Tsunade.

"Excuse me Hokage-san, is the new clan arriving soon?"

"They will be, it is their first time so some delay is to be expected."

"I see....my fellow Lords and I are eager to meet this new clan of yours, I hope that it is as good as the other clans here in Konoha."

One of the other Feudal Lords replied.

"I think this new clan will have to prove itself first before that can be judged as a good clan, this clan must measure to the Uchiha and the Hyuuga Clans."

The other Lords nearby agreed and while some were supportive clan Uzumaki, the rest were not that convinced just yet. Tsunade however grinned, having seen Naruto in action as well as seeing the power he had despite still being seen as a novice by Fenrix, she had no doubt that Naruto was going to silence his critics the very second he came into the scene.

It was not long before the doors opened and in walked the Clan in question

The crowds were silent for a moment as they looked at the new arrivals; Naruto looked quite dashing in his outfit as the women in the party looked at the new Clan head and so did Fenrix, and men on the other hand had their eyes focused on the three women who were with Naruto as well as Kin, but the dresses worn by the three women that Naruto was married to was more than enough to catch the eyes of the people.

Hinata was dressed in a deep white gown that had light straps on the shoulders that allowed them to see her shoulders, and the dress was also decorated with light violet threat that served to show the flowing flower petals that were there on the gown itself, the gown placed emphasis on her eyes along with her dark hair, there was a beautiful pair of bracelets in the middle of her upper arms while Hinata had a long scrawl that was also white but had the symbol of the Uzumaki Clan on it, the dress appeared to have been made for her build and her height, it showed curves that no one else knew Hinata had along with her own chest which was right for her age and height, making her appear both innocent and beautiful at the same time as the length of the .skirt was up to her ankles. This was a powerful combination as Hinata looked about demurely while managing to keep herself from twiddling her fingers.

She wore simple low heeled shoes that were beautiful as they were also white but there were violet gemstones there that was on the top of her feet placed in such a way that they were able to be comfortable for her, Hinata had her hair in the same fashion but had a hair crown made of gold with mother of pearl there inlayed, a personal gift that she had been given by Kurenai who had bought the whole thing for her to show off this night.

Temari was dressed to kill as she wore a green strapless dress that hugged her own frame while there was a slight slit on the front that hugged her breasts without her bust spilling outwards, the dress was very sleek and sexy, it was something that she had before when she was still in Suna, one of the things that she had bought for herself when she was able to earn her money, she had her eye on the dress for some time and managed to finally get it, with the colour matching her eyes well. She never wore it as she knew that it was going to turn heads, but now she decided to throw caution in the wind and try it on, and it fit her still as well as give her full flow of movement, something that she was happy for. There were two slits on either side of the long skirt that were up to mid thigh allowing her to show off her toned legs.

The blonde Genin also wore special mid thigh length high heeled boots that were made from soft leather that was also green with and small diamonds inlayed into them. Temari also had a long light green silk scrawl with her on her arms as she carried a black fan with the Uzumaki Clan symbol on it while still having her trademark tails for her blonde hair while having some light make up on her that showed her natural beauty.

Hana on the other hand was dressed in all black with a dress that had the straps on a collar style on her neck that was held by clasps on the back which exposed her back while it covered her considerable bust which due to her age was larger to some degree to both Hinata and Temari's there were soft streaks of red on the dress, appearing like claw or fang marks on the black, with three streaks on the sides under Hana's chest and on her stomach, there were also some of the red claw/fang marks on the long skirt with the dress looking sleek and sexy as well, she had bought this dress for this moment but decided to use it for other functions as well, she also planned to use this well when there were other occasions that she could use this in. The dress was sheer and tight but not too tight to restrict Hana's movements and it fit her like a well made glove meant only for her to wear

The brown haired Chuunin wore simple but classy and comfortable shoes as her dress had also a short white sash on it that was held by a golden clip with the sash having the symbol of the Uzumaki Clan on the white sash. Hana had her hair in the regular style and wore little make up, relying only on her natural beauty to even up the odds for her for this moment.

The results were fairly obvious as the people were surprised and amazed by this as they looked at the five who walked in. Naruto felt like he was going to die of embarrassment as he had never had this happen o him before in his entire life. He managed not to do just that as he and his wives by clan law walked into this party.

Kurenai and Anko were smiling as they recognized the dress Hinata was wearing and the red eyed Jonin felt a great deal of pride for Hinata while admitting that Naruto was certainly looking quite good tonight. The red eyed Jonin managed to direct her attention elsewhere for the moment as she found herself staring at Naruto a bit more than usual.

Anko was happy to see Hinata taking the initiative for once while admiring Naruto who looked very dashing in his choice of outfit, she had to admit that the young Clan head looked very nice in that outfit and she was eager to see how he would handle this kind of situation.

Kakashi was smiling all the while at the sight as he couldn't help but find Naruto's embarrassment as both understandable and funny at the very same time.

Sakura had to admit that this was something she had never thought she would see before her, and couldn't help but find Hinata's blush matching Naruto's in such a way that it was rather cute.

Sasuke couldn't help but look on, wondering just how his team mate was going to handle this sort of situation.

Asuma shook his head a bit while smoking a cigarette and grinning somewhat, the Jonin had to admit that this brought back memories when he had to do this sort of thing when he was Naruto's age. He wondered how Konohamaru' boss was going to handle this kind of situation before him. Though he had to admit that Naruto was very lucky that he finally got something to make him very happy, like the other Jonin who knew the truth about Naruto, he hoped he was going to be in good hands, and it seemed that he was now

Shikamaru couldn't help but shake his head at this before him as he spotted the group moving into the party and couldn't help but wonder just how Naruto was handling this kind of situation before him as the moment, though he had to give Naruto credit, getting married to three women might be troublesome in his mind, but it was something of serious fantasy of most young men, including him to some degree.

Chouji was impressed somewhat while eating away with his parents as Chouza and Chiza smiled at the sight before them. Both the parents of Chouji were very curious to see how Naruto would be able to handle his new duties as a clan head.

Ino and her parents were also surprised at the sight before them as Naruto, Hinata, Hana, and Temari walked in with Fenrix escorting them. Ino was amazed to see Hinata in such a dress and had to admit that it was quite a refreshing change from the normally shy and timid Hyuuga heiress. She was surprised to see Hana in such a dress as well having never seen Kiba's sister dressed like that and she had to give Temari credit for the choice of dress, while she admired Naruto's outfit, he looked very different from the Naruto she knew of.

Gai was impressed by this and couldn't help but grin as he nodded in approval of Naruto attending this, the Jonin might act like a goofball at times, but he knew how important this was for him to attend and for that he gave Naruto good marks on his book.

Lee was smiling at Naruto as he walked in, after hearing how Naruto and Neji had fought with one another in the Chuunin Exams; he wanted to see how he would fare with the blonde Genin in a fair round of one on one combat in a sparring match.

Tenten had to admit that it was kind of amusing to see this and she had to give Hinata credit for picking quite the outfit for her time as one of Naruto's wives. She still looked at Temari but instead of anger she was eager to have a rematch when the time came, she had learned much on how to fight better against such foes like Temari and now she was ready for another shot at it. But for now she was in the mood to relax.

Neji was surprised to say the least, this was the very first time he had ever seen Hinata dress up like that and couldn't help but find some amusement at this and wondered just how would Naruto be able to handle this new Hinata before him.

Hiashi was shaking his head a bit and couldn't help but wonder just how Hinata was able to get herself to wear that dress, it was not that the dress was not good enough for Hinata; rather it was not something his eldest daughter normally wore, nevertheless despite her still present shyness, the fact that she was doing this showed that Hinata was getting some level of confidence in herself. Hanabi was also surprised at seeing her big sister dressed like that, not that it was bad, but it was so unlike her big sister to be wearing that style of dress.

Tsunade and Jiraiya were smiling along with Shizune who was also impressed by how Naruto looked before her at this moment, while Koharu, and Homura remained silent.

Naruto had a feeling that this was going to be a very long night.

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To be continued...

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Author's notes:

Now this is finished and I can take a break for the time being as I work some other projects, not to mention my school work and real life issues. Anyhow, we get to see how things go for Naruto and his new wives as they deal with a key event, the recognition of their clan by the rest of the Feudal Lords all over the land, and as you can see, the results are fairly interesting as both Naruto and his wives by law have managed to turn quite a number of heads.

I know that Chiza is not the real name of Chouji's mother, but until i know her real name I have to make it up as I go along all right?

Anyway, I hope that you readers like this and if not, tell me what needs to be corrected so when I have the time to do some repairs to the story then I will get to that.


	12. Chapter 12

Naruto Dragon Ascendant

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto in any way, shape or form, so let's not call the lawyers for the law suits all right?

Chapter 10

Part 2

Social Party…

( ): Thoughts

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In the hall...

Naruto and the three women were currently sitting at a nearby table and they were currently eating their dinner, of course Naruto was being watched by all the other people there as well as Temari, Hana, and Hinata. The three women had undergone this stage before, but this was the first time that any of them had done this kind of event without being with family. However, they were doing all right for the time being while Fenrix and Kin were busy also taking in the sights before them.

This was not the first time Fenrix had done something like this before, having become and Ascendant and having travelled to other worlds, seeing various cultures and living several human lifetimes, the senior Dragon Ascendant was quite used to such things, not to mention meeting other Ascendants as well as Dragons and the other Dragon Kings.

For now however, he was focused on doing what he could in order to help Naruto adapt to this kind of life, he looked at his student and was happy that half his regular duties were already being taken care of.

Naruto was happy to see a good amount of food there in the party and his nose was quick to pick up the smell of ramen and due to his long association with the Ichiraku Ramen Stand, he was quick to pick up the smell of the food that the stand was known to cook very well here and there. Naruto was quick to home in on the food but it was both Hana and Temari who stopped him, and for a good reason, he was not supposed to act like this in public, especially in such an occasion like this one, the two women had experienced this before so they did their best to keep their husband from doing something that would get him into a bad light with the rest of the people there.

"Naruto-kun, try to keep your appetite under control."

Hana said as she guided Naruto to the table where the food was and both her and Temari as well as Hinata who was also in the mood to eat, they knew that Naruto was the kind of guy who had one massive appetite, Hana knew this as she had seen Naruto eat before and so had Hinata, as well as Temari so they knew that while they could help Naruto maintain some level of dignity when getting his food, they were going to have their work cut out for them when it was time to eat their food.

Hinata and the two women did their best to help guide Naruto how to conduct himself in eating his food as they knew about the dangers of his getting overeager for food. The three of them did it in different ways, which naturally befitted their personalities. Temari scolded Naruto to remind him not to inhale his food while Hana did the same though in a calmer manner, and Hinata did so as well, though in her case she was still very shy around Naruto so didn't show too much emotion. The three managed to succeed as Naruto was quick on the uptake and decided not inhale his food.

The women were also enjoying this and Hinata was more than happy to be with her husband to be as she hugged Naruto's arm as they were sitting there, and both Hana and Temari were not above showing their closeness to Naruto for the moment though they still gave Naruto some visual cues on what to do when talking to the Feudal Lords and to the people of high stature. Hana herself had ordered her canine summons to keep out of trouble for the time being while Temari was also helping Naruto by pointing out some of the high ranking people who were from the Land of Wind who she had met before in her younger years.

Naruto paid attention to all this as Temari was very serious about doing her best to acquaint her husband to be with the people there from the Land of her village an d who to avoid, Temari had met a number of people who were of high standing but had some dubious natures and considering that her husband to be was somewhat dense on several key matters, she wanted him to avoid associating with people who she knew were not that trustworthy. This showed that Temari was dedicated to making sure that the people who she knew were not that trustworthy were revealed to her husband to make sure that he was aware of them.

For that Naruto and Fenrix was happy as the blonde Genin spoke to his wife to be.

"Wow....I had no idea that there are people like Gato even in other lands."

Temari raised an eyebrow at that comment and wondered what that was about.

"Who's Gato?"

Naruto gave a sad and angry look and replied.

"He was the guy who tried to bring the Land of Waves to it's ruin when Kakashi-sensei, me, Sakura-chan, and Sasuke arrived there to escort Old Man Tazuna to build that bridge of his."

Temari nodded and then looked to see several other familiar faces....and she smiled warmly as she spotted none other than her brothers and Baki who apparently were guarding the Feudal Lord. She guided Naruto over and as soon as they met, Kankurou commented.

"Damn....Temari, you're wearing THAT dress?"

"What's so wrong with me wearing what I like anyway Kankurou?"

Kankurou shook his head and wished that his sister didn't pick that outfit since it might attract unneeded attention at times, however his worry was tempered by the fact that Temari was more than able to handle herself in a fight and could easily whack the hell out of the perverted man in question, and if they were not frightened by her skill as well as her strength, they were going to be sweating bucket-loads when they find out that she was their sister.

"It's not that I've got anything against it all that much, it's just surprising whenever you take that dress, it makes other guys think weird things."

Kankurou however grinned a bit as he looked at Naruto and replied.

"But at least you've got only one guy to show that dress off to."

Naruto blushed a bit more at that and Gaara amazingly enough began to smirk a little, surprising everyone in the group as he spoke.

"if Temari-san wants to dress like that, I doubt we'd have any say on the matter brother. Anyhow, it seems that things are going well for you both."

Temari nodded at that somewhat, and smiled to see that Gaara was showing some level of enjoying himself, despite the fact that he still wore his older clothes, he had gotten rid of his harsh looks and seemed to be relaxed considerably. The blonde sister of Gaara and Kankurou decided to talk to her brothers to see how things were back at Suna.

"How are things back home?"

Kankurou smiled and replied.

"Things are going well enough; the people in the village are getting used to the peace actually, and despite the losses, we're rebuilding. The Council is also taking some steps to keep the other ninja villages and nations from getting any bright ideas, not to mention the fact that the Council is working their butts off to make sure that the alliance between us and Konoha will remain fairly intact. But here's the real surprise."

Temari raised an eyebrow at that and spoke to her brother.

"What's the surprise?"

Kankurou shook his head and looked at Gaara and replied.

"You want to tell Temari about your plan Gaara?"

Gaara nodded and spoke as he spoke to big sister.

"I am planning to take the position father had before."

Temari's eyes widened at that and she was silent for a moment or two until she spoke.

"You....you want to be the new Kazekage?"

Gaara nodded and Kankruou grinned at that.

"Gaara came up with the idea of being Kazekage after the whole thing with you going back to Konoha and residing with Naruto here. Trust me, I kind of flipped at that idea and so did the rest of the Council, but if Gaara's serious about this, and we know he is, I guess we're probably going to have a Kazekage in the future, and one of the youngest too."

Naruto grinned at that as he spoke to Gaara.

"You want to be your village's Kage Gaara? That's great!!! I am really happy to hear that!"

Gaara smiled a bit at that and replied.

"You inspired me to take control of my life Naruto, so i figured I can reach for the chance to make people acknowledge me and I can learn to put aside my past soon."

Both Gaara and Naruto were happy and that was obvious to both Baki, and Gaara's brother and sister. It made Temari feel very happy for her brother and also a good deal more pride knowing that Naruto was the one who helped her brother change. It was then that both Hinata and Hana arrived on the scene. Hinata looked at Gaara with some surprise, she had seen Gaara before when he was still cold and having a dark aura about him, but now he seemed to be very relaxed and amazingly enough, seemed happy. Hana herself had heard from Akamaru about how brutal Gaara was in combat and was not very happy to hear about how he disposed of his foes using the sand in his gourd, not to mention hearing about how his powers were unleashed. But now it seemed that he was not the same anymore, he seemed to be calmer and a bit more relaxed, something that was rather surprising considering what she had heard about him.

Naruto then recalled that he should introduce both Hinata and Hana to his brothers in law as well, it was considered good manners for him to do so after all.

"By the way, I know you might know their names already, but I'll introduce you anyway to Temari's....ah....sister wives is the term I think, this is Hana Inuzuka of the Inuzuka Clan."

Hana extended her hands to Kankurou and Gaara as well as Baki and the two Sand siblings shook hands with Hana, and even though Baki had already known Hana, he still shook her hand as a need to show courtesy and recognition of the fact that she was now going to be Temari's sister wife. Gaara then spoke after shaking hands with Hana.

"I take it that Kiba Inuzuka is your brother?"

"Yes he is, he's here in the hall right now actually, alongside our mother Tsume. Do you want to meet them?"

Gaara shook his head and replied.

"You'll forgive me if I decline the invitation Lady Hana, I have a feeling that after....seeing me in action before, you're brother might be uncomfortable with the idea of me being close to him. Maybe once things are in better straits I will consider meeting him, along with your mother."

Hana nodded at that and decided to relax for the time being as she decided to talk to her mother and brother who were there at the moment. This left Hinata to meet Gaara. Baki, and Kankurou. The three were familiar with Hinata as they had read their reports on the Hyuuga Clan, though Kankurou had to admit that he could tell that Hinata was going to be a tough fighter when time passed and Gaara congratulated Hinata on being with Naruto. This was much to Hinata's embarrassment as she replied back to them in greeting and later decided to speak to her family as well as her cousin Neji who were there in the hall.

Temari also decided to take some time with her family as well as she spoke to her brothers with Naruto not minding at all that she was with her family for this day. It made him happy to see Temari happy to be with her family. With Hana, Hinata, and Temari with their families, this left Naruto alone for the moment until he was now face to face with none other than Kakashi who was still dressed in his regular clothes but there was a smile in his eyes as he spoke to Naruto.

"So Naruto, how is life treating you today?"

Naruto grinned and replied to the question.

"I'm doing all right, Hinata-chan's actually a great cook! Hana's really nice and does great work, and Temari's kind of strict but she's rather kind hearted and has a softer side too."

"I take it that means the idea of you having more than one wife is not so bad after all?"

"Not at all....has it only been two weeks though so I can't really know how it will turn out as soon as we are back in the teams."

Kakashi nodded, he was very eager to see how his newly expanded team would handle the missions that they will no doubt soon be getting, nevertheless, he was going to have to test them once they were all assembled so as to gauge the performance of his new team. This meant he was going to have to use something other than the bell test in order to do what he could to see the exact level of ability his team had at the time being. This was going to be a very interesting test in the Jonin's mind as he decided to get also some time to train Sasuke a bit more before taking the time to train the others further. Sakura's overall chakra control was perfect for various jutsu, but if she was going to take her skills as a Kunoichi to a higher level, then she needed to know her chakra type soon, there was not much doubt about Sasuke's own chakra types at the moment. Kakashi however was in the mood to see Naruto in action once more along with seeing how the three new Kunoichi in his team would be able to handle themselves in combat.

This was going to be something that he was going to be looking forward to, though he decided to keep a sharp eye on Sasuke, after hearing what Sasuke had been subjected to by Itachi and experiencing it himself when Itachi and Kisame came to Konoha while Naruto and Jiraiya were looking for Tsunade, he knew that this was going to be a serious matter, while he had no idea what Sasuke suffered since the young Uchiha had been as tight as a clam on the whole thing he had a feeling that it no doubt had something to do with the Uchiha Massacre. He had never seen it happen, but when the crime was reported, he was among the first on the scene so he had a very accurate idea of what exactly Sasuke had seen.

He shook his head mentally on the matter as he decided to speak further to Naruto, he wanted to make sure that his student was not too stressed out since despite the fact that a lot of young men would have loved to be in Naruto's shoes or sandals for that matter, the Jonin knew that this was not something one was ready for all the time and there was going to be some stress and more in the mix. However, knowing Naruto, Kakashi had no doubt that his student was going to be going into this whole thing without a care in the world. But knowing Naruto's desire and his drive, he might very well pull through this whole thing.

"Good thinking there, but knowing you Naruto, this is going to be a heck of a ride for everyone involved. Anyhow, you should enjoy the time you have and expect me to want to test you once more once you and your wives get to join us on missions. Considering the fact that the team is a lot bigger now, this might very well be a very interesting time."

Naruto grinned at that as Kakashi left and went back to his duties with both Sakura and Sasuke, Naruto looked at his team mates and saw that Sakura was serious about doing her best to make Sasuke feel better. He felt a twinge of pain there in his heart as he could see that Sakura's crush was turning into love, not the puppy kind of love, but real love. He was not happy as Sasuke seemed to ignore her, he wished he could do something about it, but he cared for Sakura still and wanted her to be happy, so if she was happy with Sasuke then he couldn't do much about it.

However, he then looked at Hinata, Hana, and Temari who were there with their families, and knowing that sooner or later, they were going to be sharing his last name soon made him feel something different in his heart. It was a warm feeling that made him smile, to know that Hinata loved him all her life was something that he found to be very endearing and it made him feel a good feeling that made the pain fade. Along with the fact that both Temari and Hana were there as well and showing their good sides to him, along with getting to know them at a much better scale was something that he was happy for. To see them talking with their families, looking happy and smiling as well and knowing that they were going to be his family was more than enough to make him smile even more.

However, he kept in mind that there was still a chance that several other women would join his clan and that was something that he was somewhat curious about as well since he was wondering just who else was going to join his clan. There was no doubt in his mind that he was going to have to get ready for more women to join into the clan, the question was who those women were going to be. It was not that he was not looking forward to the whole thing actually as his perverted tendencies were picturing crazy thoughts in his head, but he knew that it was going to put him in the spotlight even more.

Naruto managed to wipe aside those thoughts for the moment and decided to move around for the moment and get used to this kind of gala event.

--------

Tsunade was busy chatting with some of the officials along with several of the high ranking people that she knew and respected, and as soon as she was done she decided to take a look at Naruto who was currently chatting with the other people and she couldn't help but smile a bit more when she spotted Naruto's wives were smiling at his direction. Kiba was wide eyed as Hana spoke of Naruto to him and their mother while Tsume grinned. Hinata was blushing bright red while talking to her father Hiashi and her sister Hanabi who was raising an eyebrow at the whole thing while Neji was listening as Hinata talked about her time with Naruto. The same could be said for Temari as she spoke to her brothers with a smile while Kankurou was trying not to apparently laugh as he listened and Gaara listened on while Baki coughed once in a while as he kept an eye on the Feudal Lord while allowing his charges to talk to one another.

Jiraiya then commented.

"He seems to be doing all right isn't he Tsunade?"

The blonde nodded as that as she looked at Naruto and his wives as they socialized in their own fashion.

"He is, but he's still got a long way to go, the other Feudal Lords will no doubt soon be moving in to make their moves and I can only hope that he can handle it."

Jiraiya grinned and replied.

"Knowing that little kid, he's going to do fine, anyhow, we are here to help him after all, plus Kakashi and Fenrix are nearby to back him up, and so are his wives so he's not deficient in the knowledge department. Speaking of which, he seems to be caught in another situation that might get interesting soon enough."

"Meaning what Jiraiya?"

"Well, it's kind of obvious that sooner or later, Temari, Hinata, and Hana are going to have to deal with the fact that he will soon have other women in the household, I've been hearing rumours that some women are beginning to show interest in the idea of being married to Naruto there and join his clan."

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya with a raised eyebrow and spoke.

"Is there anyone in particular who I know of in that list?"

"Not at the moment, after all it's just rumours at this time. Anyhow, that's all going to be up to Naruto if he's going to be okay with the whole idea, personally I wish him the best of luck when it does happen, after all, his clan has to have a lot of heirs to grow larger, You and I know that for a fact after all, right Tsunade-chan?"

Tsunade nodded and glared a bit at Jiraiya in a gentle but serious fashion.

"I know that, and don't call me that out here for Kami's sake....that is to be a secret."

Jiraiya smiled but agreed, until things were straightened out and a formal decision between them was made, they couldn't be open about their new relationship. The situation reminded him of the way Kushina and Minato had kept their relationship a secret from everyone except those they were truly close to and trusted well with their lives and happiness, including him as well as Tsunade before she left Konoha. Both Naruto's parents had kept their relationship a secret since they knew that despite his reputation and his abilities, Minato had many foes and they would stop it nothing to harm him through his family if they ever found out about him having a family to begin with.

Now he was in the same boat as they were, only in this case, the woman he loved was the Hokage and he was the one who was her spy, advisor, and lover as well. It was not to so bad and besides, Tsunade did have a gentle and loving side to herself when they had privacy to be together, though she usually had her tough and serious side when they were in the office of the Hokage Tower, with that in mind he nodded and replied.

"Fair enough Hokage-sama....anyhow; it seems that young Naruto is going to be in for a bit of political manoeuvring."

Tsunade looked and spotted the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire come towards Naruto with his wife in tow along with a certain feline that was begging to escape once more from it's owner's clutches.

Shizune looked at Naruto and wondered just how Naruto was going to deal with this kind of situation before him along with Tsunade and Jiraiya as both Sannin were wondering just how the young clan head and son of Minato and Kushina would be able to handle this. They raised their eye brows when they saw Naruto give a groan as he looked at the cat in the woman's arms.

--------

In a hidden location....

"DAMN!!!!"

Orochimaru was still in great pain as he tried to move his arms once more to try and get some feeling apart from pain back to his arms, but the attack that Sarutobi had done to him was still placing him in great pain and after that failed attempt to gain help from Tsunade, he was still in pain. Kabuto had been able to come up with some new medicine to help him counter the pain to some extent, but it still enraged the Snake Sannin that he was beaten this way.

As he looked at his hands, he thought back on what he should do now, he could dispatch his Sound Five to recover Sasuke, but at this time, he needed them in him as there were reports of Konoha ANBU moving about to recon the locations to find the Sound Village, while he had no doubt his forces could handle or delay the ANBU, and Kabuto could deal with them well enough on his own power, he couldn't afford to let the ninja forces of Konoha to find him while he was in this current state.

Kabuto walked in and handed several pills to Orochimaru and after he drank them, Kabuto spoke to his master.

"Orochimaru-sama, I have been gaining reports that Konoha is still rebuilding at this moment and it seems that they are...."

"Hosting the gala of the Feudal lords, I have been there before Kabuto. That is not my concern at the moment, two things are of great importance to me."

"And what are those Orochimaru-sama?"

"I want to know how Naruto-kun had gained these powers, I want to know how he had gained this Kekkai Genkai that....that sensei said that was more powerful than the Sharingan."

"I see....and the other thing?"

"It's fairly obvious Kabuto, I want to take Sasuke-kun from the village soon, I will have the Sharingan, and as soon as I find out about Naruto-kun's Kekkai Genkai, I will be able to use both and become the ultimate being....a god."

Kabuto nodded as he checked the arms of his master and stood up.

"I will dispatch whatever agents we have left to keep in eye on Sasuke-kun, though we could send the Sound Five to collect him."

"Not yet, there will be time for that later, we need to rest and recover, have the rest of our ninja forces keep things under wraps for now, I will do what I have to in order to avoid the radar for the time being."

Kabuto nodded at that and decided to head off to do what Orochimaru asked of him, he then thought about how to best gather information about Naruto's new powers, he decided then to dispatch a small team of his own ninja to keep tabs on Naruto for the time being as they would help facilitate answers that he needed. He was very curious about this new power that Naruto had flowing in his veins, if it was as powerful as he had seen in the Chuunin exams experienced firsthand, it would make Naruto quite an interesting test subject, as well as a case study, something about him made the Medic Nin of Orochimaru very interested in him.

--------

Back in Konoha...

The blonde Genin sighed a bit as the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire and his wife finally left, seeing the cat again that tried to turn his face into confetti so long ago brought a number of bad memories to the young blonde Genin's mind, The cat glared at him briefly until Naruto returned the glare, silencing the cat. Apparently despite being a feline, Tora could sense that the blonde was not the same anymore and the cat got the message to behave.

As for the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire, he wasn't really sure how to take the man all that much, but he kept in mind that only time would tell how this might turn out in the long run. As soon as the feudal Lord of the Land of Fire and his wife left, the blonde Genin was approached by a number of people from several noble houses and was being asked a barrage of questions. I was only due to Fenrix's teachings and patient explanations that allowed him to answer those questions. It was far worse than dealing with hunger when not being able to eat any ramen, but he sucked it up as best he could manage.

After that session, Naruto was amazed that he was able to escape with his sanity intact, but then he spotted yet another person coming towards him at full speed though in a very dignified pace as well. The man seemed to be smiling very much towards Naruto but Naruto felt that there was no sign of bad intent in the man.

"Ah, the young man I wanted to meet for a very long time, it is a great honour to meet you face to face at last Naruto-san I have heard great things about you for some time now and to meet you is something I have been hoping for quite a while now.

Naruto looked at the smiling man in the Feudal Lord clothes and wondered what he wanted from him of all people.

"Can I help you?"

"Oh, my apologizes Naruto-san for not saying who I am, but I am the Feudal Lord of the Land of Waves, I am well aware that it was your team that helped get rid of Gato and his men am I correct?"

Naruto recalled that mission and a sad expression came to his face as he recalled what happened to both Haku and Zabuza, at least they were able to die together and Haku was able to find a measure of peace in his life. He managed to put that aside for the moment as he recalled that he was facing a Feudal Lord and he had to be proper in his actions, his time with Fenrix in learning social manners was coming forward in this kind of situation.

"Yes we were, Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan, and Sasuke as well as me dealt with Gato and his men , what do you ask?"

The Feudal Lord smiled and replied.

"The results were more than we could have hoped for, the bridge that has your name on it as what was told to me by Tazuna has opened new avenues for trade for the Land there. New jobs as well as new resources came into the Land and it's helped the Land recover greatly, the trade coming in also allowed us to get news from the outside world as well. Your team's actions....as well as your own have made you all quite the heroes there in the Land Of Waves. If you want I would gladly offer you and your team, as well as your clan to visit the Land as guests. I have no doubt you will gain quite the welcome there."

Naruto smiled and replied.

"I'll see if I can do that."

The Feudal lord smiled and replied.

"Splendid! I will be most eager to gain news of your arrival when you decide to come to The Land of Waves and arrange as good a reception as I can manage. The economy of the Land of Waves is still somewhat recovering but it will be more than enough to help prepare for your arrival Naruto-san."

As the Feudal Lord left, Hinata and the others walked over to Naruto and Hana was the first to speak.

"That went very well, are you going to the Land of Waves Naruto-kun?"

The blonde smiled and replied.

"Of course I would! It's going to be the best chance I have to see Inari, Old Man Tazuna, and Tsunami-san again. Besides, there's a bridge there with my name on it, what's not to want to see there?'

Temari raised an eyebrow as she recalled reading the data on the mission that Naruto had been in with his team when they went to the Land of waves, in the report that they were able to get before the Suna Council decided on him becoming her husband, it mentioned that Naruto's team were responsible not only for the ouster of Gato's men with the merchant being slain by his former mercenary ally the Demon of the Hidden Mist, the missing nin and former member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist Zabuza, but also for the sudden growth of the Land's riches and economy, turning it into a vital shipping area due to it's location. However she was not the kind of person to limit herself to just reports, she was very curious exactly how this mission ended for Naruto and company.

Hana was also interested to hear about this, while she had never heard of the mission itself, the way the Feudal Lord went about it got her interested, along with the fact that there was supposed to be a bridge that had Naruto's name on it. This was going to be something that she was going to enjoy hearing about as soon as they were able to get all this squared away.

Hinata herself was also curious about it, this was supposed to be Naruto's first serious mission and learning about it was going to help her learn more about Naruto. She might have been able to learn a great deal about Naruto through their conversations with one another, but this was going to be a good way to learn how he was able to deal with things as a ninja, Naruto had not talked about the mission and now that he was more open about it all, she was eager to listen in.

Temari was naturally the very first to speak about that matter.

"So if you don't mind Naruto-kun, why don't you tell us all about it."

Naruto thought about it and nodded with a smile.

"Why not? Come on, we can do this on a nice menu of food too!"

Hana laughed at that and replied.

"You always think on your stomach Naruto-kun."

Naruto smiled back at that and Hinata smiled at that as she knew firsthand how much Naruto loved to eat all he could get. She guided them to a nearby table as she and Temari got the food together and set it before them all, making Naruto smile in thanks as he began to tell them the results of his first ever mission.

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shizune watched as Naruto was talking animatedly to his wives as they listened to him and they smiled at that, it was nice to see that Naruto was getting along with them well enough in the social setting and now they were eager to see how they operated as a team in a combat situation.

--------

As this was going on, Fenrix looked at everything with Kin as the two of them observed the whole situation and Fenrix smiled warmly at this while Kin was still looking about and seeing the whole thing play out before her. She smiled as she and her sensei ate their own food in peace. It was then that someone came to their table and it was easy enough to recognize the person in question. It was none other than Sasuke Uchiha who spoke to Fenrix.

"I want to talk to you now!"

Kin was not liking the tone being directed at her saviour and was about to speak in Fenrix's defence but the senior Dragon Ascendant shook his head politely to Kin and looked at Sasuke seriously and spoke.

"You can talk to me right here Sasuke Uchiha."

Sasuke shook his head and replied.

"Outside."

As soon as he said that, Sasuke left the hall and no doubt had evaded Sakura who was looking for him with a worried expression on her face. Fenrix could see that and decided to finish his meal quickly and effectively. As soon as he was able to finish his food, he turned to Kin.

"Kin, inform Naruto-sama that I will be coming in a bit late so if they want to head back home than they can go ahead."

'But...."

"I'll be all right, go on Kin; this will not take too long."

Kin could tell that nothing she would say would change Fenrix's mind so she nodded and wished him luck and went to inform the others. As soon as he was assured that she was telling Naruto about his request, he dusted off his remaining snacks, wiped his hands clean with a nearby cloth napkin and headed out to meet Sasuke and figure out just what was it that the Uchiha wanted, though he already had a very accurate idea as to what that might be.

--------

Outside…

As soon as he was outside, he blocked a kunai aimed at his head and turned to see Sasuke and the young man dared him to follow him and he did so, easily catching up with the young Uchiha until they were at the old Uchiha compound. It was here that Fenrix and Sasuke stopped moving and the young Uchiha turned to face him in combat and he activated his powers at that exact moment.

Fenrix looked at Sasuke with a serious eye and relaxed a bit more as he faced the young Uchiha who was dressed in his older outfit and his Sharingan activated and his Chidori aimed at him with the Sharingan active once more. The young Uchiha glared at the senior Dragon Ascendant and replied.

"Fight me and fight me seriously!"

"Hmph….why should I do that Sasuke Uchiha? What reason could I have to fight you?"

"You called my clan weak before….remember? Did you think I would ignore that forever, I want you take that lie back!"

Fenrix was not amused and replied as he closed his eyes.

"That was no lie…."

Sasuke then attacked the Ascendant but as he closed the gap, Fenrix opened his eyes and revealed his own glowing green Dragon Eye…much to Sasuke's shock as this was not the same as Naruto's more powerful and different. Fenrix's Dragon Eye had the same five tomoe as Naruto's but they were not alone as there were two larger ones there in the middle with them in either side of the iris and there was a rim of glowing golden light there around the two Tomoe in the middle with the slit between both tomoe.

The Uchiha barely had time to react when Fenrix's own arm was bathed in pure golden lightning in the shape of a roaring Dragon with it's maw open. This was enough to stop him cold as he looked at Fenrix who looked at him coldly.

"That is a fact…before you stands the TRUE majesty of the Dragon Eye, with this power I can crush any foe that does not match my power, and most of all, this is the ancestor of your Kekkai Genkai Sasuke Uchiha, do you dare fight me knowing that I wield the power that predates yours?"

Sasuke tried to will himself to fight but Fenrix closed in too fast for him to see and then…

Nothing, Sasuke looked and saw that Fenrix had deactivated the golden lightning dragon head from his arm and had a calmer look but without the Dragon Eye fading away from his face. The Uchiha wondered what was going on and Fenrix replied.

"Like I said I have no reason to fight you. There is nothing I can gain for that…."

"Shut up….leave me alone, go back to your student…."

Sasuke turned away, humiliated by this and wanted to leave but Fenrix spoke to him, though in a softer tone.

"Are you after Itachi Sasuke?"

Sasuke turned and glared at Fenrix as he shrugged and replied.

"Naruto didn't need to tell me, I have always known about it, I observed this village for a very long time you know, I watched everything, including the night your brother slaughtered your clan. Are you sure you really want to kill him so badly?"

Sasuke growled at that replied angrily.

"SHUT UP!!! YOU WRE NEVER THERE TO SEE WHAT HE SHOWED ME WHEN HE DID THAT SLAUGHTER!!! HE KILLED EVERYONE IN OUR OWN CLAN!!! OUR OWN FAMILY!!!! HE KILLED OUR COUSINS, OUR UNCLES, OUR AUNTS, AND OUR OWN PARENTS!!!! WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO KNOW THAT YOUR BROTHER….YOUR OWN BROTHER SLAUGHTERED EVERYONE JUST FOR POWER?!?!?!?!"

Sasuke was enraged by this and looked at Fenrix who looked calmly at him and he was sickened by it.

"Why should you care about it anyway huh?! You, a vaunted Ascendant…."

"You're forgetting, I was human once, like you and everyone here….and I have lived a long time to learn many things."

"I'm sure you have….so what are you going to say huh?! That I should let it go?! Should I forgive my brother?!"

"I didn't say that Sasuke Uchiha, in fact, I actually don't find any reason for me to change your mind, if you are so determined to kill your brother for killing your clan, then that is your right, but I wonder if you are aware of the price one pays when one is consumed with hatred?"

"I don't care! This is my duty as an avenger of my clan…."

Fenrix nodded at that and replied.

"I do not contest that, in my old home-world, our people believed that it is a son's duty to avenge his family when they are slain. But I have travelled much in my long years to many worlds and lands and I would like to mention that you are not the first person I met who had that same drive or desire as you did. But his case was radically different from your own situation. Would you like to hear it?"

Sasuke snorted and turned away and replied.

"I'm not interested…"

"Like you, he was bound to kill the murderer who wronged his family, namely in this case, the murderer of his father, and he did, he killed the murderer with his own hands, but there was a price….do you know who the murderer of his father was?"

Sasuke walked away but finally answered.

"Just say it and leave me alone. Who was it?"

Fenrix sighed a bit and answered back.

"The one who killed the man who gave him life in the world he lived in, the one the son had killed….was the woman who brought him into the world."

That was enough to freeze Sasuke in his tracks as the meaning of the statement hit him and he turned to face Fenrix who looked sad at this, something that struck the Uchiha as odd and somewhat shocking. He looked to see if there was a lie in this but could see that Fenrix meant it, there was no lie in his words at all. He walked over to Fenrix and looked the Ascendant in the eye and spoke to him.

"You mean….he…."

"Yes, the son had to avenge the crime of patricide, with the crime of matricide, and for that he was cursed for a very long time, until he pleaded his case and was acquitted. But do you know why his own mother killed his father and her husband? It was because the father killed their own daughter, all because of the desire to calm the winds and go to war for glory, honour, and the like. In anger the mother vowed to avenge her daughter and when the father came back from the war, she and her lover killed him and his war trophy slave woman."

"The young son escaped with his life after the deed was committed, but when he was old enough, he knew that he could never rest until his father's death was avenged, but he knew also for a fact that he would be cursed forever by the spirits when he would spill the blood of his own mother. He did it and was forever plagued by the sin of spilling his mother's blood."

Sasuke was stunned and Fenrix continued…

"I told you this is that there was more to what is going on, there was a lot more going on that night when your family was killed by your brother, there is a lot more going on and the truth of that night is a lot more complicated than what you saw and what you think."

Sasuke shook his head.

"What truth can there be?! My brother said he killed them to measure his power, to measure…."

Sasuke was silent at this, hoping not to reveal what he learned, but Fenrix already knew about it….after all he had observed it all that night.

"The power of the Sharingan in it's awakened form….the Magenkyo Sharingan, do not forget, I know all there is to know about your clan Sasuke. But I will not tell you truth, and why? Because you must find it out on your own and decide for yourself what is the truth and what is the poisoned truth."

"What do you mean?"

"Sasuke, if I told you truth, would you in your anger believed me? Would you have listened to me in your anger, or in your own beliefs? I do not think so; let me tell you something important about the truth. The truth is something that can be twisted….in one land I went to in my youth travelling with my Master Valen, there is a saying that they take seriously and that is this: Even the Devil can use the Truth."

Sasuke looked at Fenrix in confusion and the senior Ascendant replied.

"It means that there are those who can tell you the truth, but in that group as well, there are two kinds of people who tell you the truth. The first kind and the ones who tell you the truth without any hidden agenda, in turn they set you free. And the other kind who tell you the truth are the ones who tell you the truth to see things their way, or to guide you in a different direction. The ability to determine the real truth is up to you. Only be seeing the truth on all sides and deciding for yourself what the truth is, can you really understand what happened that night and why your brother did what he did."

Sasuke looked at Fenrix and spoke seriously.

"How can I know you're telling me the real truth then?! For all I know you can be using it to turn me around!!!"

"That is why YOU must learn the truth on your own, you must decide on your own terms what is the truth and how you will respond to it. Why do you think I am even telling you these things?"

Fenrix then looked at the Curse Mark and spoke seriously to Sasuke.

"Naruto did tell me that you have hated your brother for what he had done all those years before, he said for you to hate him and use that hatred to grow stronger. Here's something that you need to know about hatred Sasuke."

Fenrix created a snake life form from fire and spoke before the Uchiha.

"Hatred in this case is like a ravenous snake that feeds on anything it can catch, as it feeds it grows hungrier and hunts down and kills more to make it grow in power, as it does so, it grew and grew stronger, but as it did so, it's hunger grew until all life became it's food, it feeds on everything it can find, but in the end it ate everything and nothing was left, but it's hunger for more grew so great and drove it on to seek more food….until, driven to near madness by it's hunger, it ate it's own tail."

Fenrix' creation grew into a massive snake that was now eating it's own tail in it's hunger. Sasuke watched this until Fenrix spoke later to him in a very serious manner.

"That is hatred, it will consume your mind and soul, it grants you power and you do grow stronger, but it will also burn away your soul, your humanity, you very being, you become so consumed by hatred that you are willing to take any path, willing to pay any price, sacrifice anything and even anyone for power. But the hunger given by hatred will grow deeper and stronger, it becomes like an addiction, until it turns on you and consumes you….trapping you in a cycle forever. That is the danger of hatred Sasuke Uchiha."

As the snake faded away, Fenrix faced Sasuke and looked at him as the young man remained silent until he looked at him and spoke.

"Is that the truth?"

"For once…yes it is, hatred breeds only more hatred and it in turn never ends, it is like a chain that no matter how many times you try to remove it, it comes back to you in the end. It is a cycle that binds you from the very moment hatred grips your mind, soul, and heart in it's talons and once there it is nearly impossible to escape, but you can break free of it, it will be hard, but it can be done."

"Tell me something important Sasuke, if you do kill your brother and avenge your family, what is your next path?"

"Why do you even ask that question of me? I want to revive my clan!"

"And no doubt you will, but the acts you commit with hatred in your mind will come back to haunt you, those who you have made into enemies will never stop until they avenge themselves either, that is what hatred can do to you, if you killed someone to gain their power for example, do you think that those who survive will forget what you have done? No, they won't do that at all, they will remember that action you made and will hate you for it, and in turn, they will hate your clan and your descendants, yes you can fight back, but those who survive will hate you and your clan forever, the same could be said if you did the same thing to others as well, those who are related to them in some way will want retribution and they too will hate you and your clan as well. In the end…all that there will be is the chain of hatred that binds you all."

"So what the heck should I do then?! Give it up?!"

"That is your decision Sasuke, I am not going to force you to decide how you defeat your brother, I told you this to know what hatred will do to you at some point in your life if you let it drive you for the rest of your life. If you want to be free of the dangers of hatred, you will need to let it go, but replace it with something stronger to guide you, something that will not one day destroy you in the end….what that will be is entirely up to you."

"And there is another thing I have noticed in you as well, you have grown to seeing the people here as hindrances to your growth. You feel that your bonds here in Konoha are meaningless. But are they really meaningless?"

Sasuke glared and replied.

"All my bonds, those to my family were cut Fenrix, all that bonds have ever done had hurt me, we are only hurt from those bonds…"

"Is that what you believe?"

Sasuke said and did nothing but that was more than enough of an answer for Fenrix as he continued.

"I knew of another man like you Sasuke….in his case it was the same to a degree. Long ago he too had a family; he had faith in many things and a bond to many things in life. But long ago he and many others fought in a war that determined their freedom from oppression. One battle finally broke him you know….three days of none stop fighting. But after the fighting, the wounded and dying on both sides remained in that blood soaked valley for weeks and could not be taken as there was no way for them to have supplies and aid. That man watched as those he commanded and those he fought against were dying slowly and painfully for days as there was no aid in sight."

"In the end it came, but it was too late….that man watched as thousands of people on either side died in the most horrific ways possible, and in the end, he was broken, he broke his bonds with all things. But do you what he did? He took a ship, named it after the battle area to remind him of the people who died in that same battle field and gained a crew, who became family to him in some way. The woman officer who followed him into that hellish became the one who reminded him of his honour, sense of duty, and the one he trusts the most. In the husband of that same female friend, he was reminded for his love of life and the joys of being alive. In the mercenary who fights with them, he is reminded of his own greed, sense of self importance, and his occasional desire to go out swinging as one would say. In the young cheerful female engineer in his ship, he is reminded of the family he had left behind, and in doing so sees her as a little sister who he would fight to the death to protect. In the holy man who followed them, he saw the faith and belief in God that he abandoned so long ago in that war, as well as being able to trust in something higher than himself, and his ability to do good in the world. In the young man who is the brother of another young woman with great powers and is the healer of their crew, he sees the willingness to risk everything to save someone and keep them safe. And in the sister of that same young healer, he sees someone who is like a child to protect and teach…or even a daughter of sorts."

"Like you Sasuke, this man lost all the bonds, but unlike you, he made new ones, strong ones, those people remind him of the past and why he must stay alive, they are his family and he will willingly fight to defend them, and even die. And you know what? He did die once but came back to life, and even from the brink of death….all because of those bonds and his past. That is a strong man with a strong heart. Bonds can be broken, that is true, but they can be repaired, and if not, then new bonds can form and become stronger than ever. And for that reason, severing your bonds will one day destroy you."

Fenrix then began to walk away but not before speaking to Sasuke.

"If you want to defeat your brother, then choose your own path to follow, take your own course and decide your own fate, be stronger in your own way. And never lose sight of what you have gained while you are alive, treasure what had in the past and what you have now, because they will keep you from falling into the blackness. For while the blackness does give power, in the end you will never see anything else until you die."

Sasuke then spoke to the leaving form of the Ascendant.

"Decide on my own? Is that so easy?"

Fenrix replied to that.

"No, it is the hardest thing one can do in his or her life Sasuke Uchiha, but if you want to take your own path, then do so, if you want power, then find it in your own way, because you have free will, that is the greatest power in the world, the ability to decide your own path and live with the consequences of your decisions. Remember this, I told you these things not to force you away from doing what you think is right. Avenging the murder of your family is you're right, there is no denying that. It is deciding how it should be carried out that is your decision, I merely gave you information, whether you use it or discard it is entirely up to you."

Fenrix finally left, taking the direction to the Uzumaki Clan Fortress, leaving Sasuke alone to decide how he would act as the night came to a close.

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A day later...

Fenrix was busy training himself outside of the mansion fortress with Naruto by teaching him some important matters on politics while Hinata, Temari and Hana were currently taking some time to relax after the long and hectic gala party that they had attended the night before. At the moment, the three had eaten breakfast and were taking the time to relax, with Hana tending to her medical books, Hinata with her desire to grow flowers, and Temari with her own books. This allowed Naruto and Fenrix to enjoy the quiet day as the senior Dragon Ascendant taught his student about the ins and outs of laws along with politics that he will need to deal with now that his clan was officially recognized by the Feudal Lords.

As they chatted, they turned when they spotted none other than a raven haired Sasuke Uchiha who seemed intent on speaking to Fenrix, both Ascendants looked at Sasuke and Naruto wondered just what the heck was Sasuke doing here in his home, he was supposed to be on leave for the moment as there was no mission for his team to speak of as they were all on hiatus until the time was up for him to be out of any mission.

He got his answer as Sasuke looked at Fenrix and spoke.

"I want to ask you to train me."

Fenrix looked at Sasuke seriously and Sasuke looked back at him, the pair looked at one another for a bit longer while Naruto waited to see what was going to be the outcome of this situation before him. The stare-down between Fenrix and Sasuke lasted for a bit longer and then Fenrix spoke.

"You want me, to train you? In what fashion is that Sasuke?"

Sasuke replied.

"You have the power that predates the Sharingan, I want you to train me to use the power left inside me."

"Even if it is no longer the power it was once? You have quite a request of me then."

"You said to me once that I should follow my own path, make my own choices in life, to decide my destiny. You were right in that regard, that is why I am here to ask for your training and teachings."

"I have to ask, is it to kill your brother and avenge the deaths of your family alone, or do you want to know the truth and decide for yourself what to do with it?"

"I want to avenge my family, and to know the truth, if there is more to that night, I will find it, but...."

"But?"

Sasuke then did something that he had never done before in his life, he bowed his head to a stranger, a sign of respect that he had never shown anyone else in his life as he spoke.

"I can't find it without the right training, so I ask you....can you teach me?"

Naruto was looking at this with a very curious eye and wondered what Fenrix was going to say to Sasuke at this moment, he knew that this was something that he had never known Sasuke to do in his whole life, it was actually kind of refreshing to see this in his mind. The blonde Genin looked at the two and waited for his sensei's decision.

He didn't have to wait long as Fenrix spoke seriously.

"How long have you trained with Kakashi?"

"What?"

"How long Sasuke?"

"Several months, he taught me the Chidori."

"Good, then finish your training with him for as long as possible, once you have learned enough, then you can come train with me and Naruto-sama."

Sasuke looked up at Fenrix as the senior Ascendant placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder and stared at him intensely, making the Uchiha feel a portion of the power buried in Naruto's teacher in the ways of the Ascendants.

"Make no mistake of this Sasuke Uchiha, I will train you hard, I will push you to dig deeply into your own inner self and beyond, you will feel as if you are going to face all the natural disasters in this world all at once, to learn how to truly use your power, you must be ready to do whatever you can and use all you have learned, because if you do not, then you will not succeed. Never forget what I will teach you not only in using your power, but also how to use your power wisely and for the right reasons. What you will do with the training I will give you is of your free will, remember that."

Sasuke felt elated and vowed to learn as much as he could from Kakashi and hope that he was ready for this, he bowed again, and as he left, Fenrix spoke once more.

"And one more thing Sasuke....don't be late. Your Jonin-sensei might have the time to go somewhere and do things to make him late, but I do not. I expect you to be here early and on time."

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To be continued...

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Author's notes:

Well now, this is unexpected isn't it, not only does Sasuke get a serious talking to and being told the dangers of hatred, but he then decides to TRAIN with Fenrix and Naruto to become stronger! How is that for a surprise, exactly how will Sasuke's future change if he is training with Fenrix than with Orochimaru for this moment? That will be yet to be seen in the coming chapters.

Now if anyone's curious as to who were the cases pointed out by Fenrix to Sasuke, here are a few hints, the first is from a Greek mythological tragedy story and the other person in question is from a TV series started by the creator of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. If you know the guy who started the series, then I have no doubt you can guess who the character is, and if you're a mythology student or you read mythology, then you can guess who the other person is.

Anyway, have fun and if you enjoyed this chapter, please send the comments and reviews, if not or you have seen some errors, feel free to send the comments my way, but keep them civil and constructive, the very second they become insulting, I am throwing them out.

By the way...here's something for you all to think over soon.

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Fenrix growled as he raised his left hand and then pressed both his thumb, fore and middle fingers together while glaring at Danzo and in that moment the bandaged Elder of Konoha cried out in pain, startling his chosen ANBU and both Homura and Koharu. The senior Ascendant then lifted his left hand up slightly and to the shock of them all, Danzo was lifted into the air as the Ascendant growled once more and spoke.

"You have a lot of gall to threaten me and the clan you pathetic little whelp."

Danzo felt great pain and it grew even more as Fenrix pressed his fingers together tighter, it felt like his eye was about to be ripped out of his body as blood flowed from the bandaged side of his face. Fenrix then moved his right hand into a claw style form and began to close it, making Danzo cry out in greater pain.

Fenrix lifted his hands higher, making Danzo rise higher and then Fenrix slammed Danzo into the ground hard, the man coughed as Fenrix replied.

"You are a fool to think that your....secret weapons are hidden from me. Know that as long as you have them with you, I can make you suffer even more pain that you have ever imagined, of that you can be assured. I can kill you easily without a care in the world....so if you plan anything like that again, make no mistake that I will take your life, and neither you or any of your soldiers can stop me. This....meeting is over."

He turned to Koharu and Homura and replied.

"Out of respect for your former team-mate's memory I will not kill or injure you both....but what I did to Danzo is already a warning. I have no intention of starting a war, but if you continue to try to enforce your own will in matters that are not yet your concern, then I will step in, and like I said before....this meeting is over."

With that, Fenrix left.

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See you all later...


	13. Chapter 13

Naruto Dragon Ascendant

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Naruto so let's leave it at that

Chapter 11

Part 1

Memories

( ): Thoughts

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In Naruto's clan fortress/home...

Naruto had just awakened and looked at the calendar that he had brought from his old apartment and looked over the days, and it was there that he was utterly happy with the news that he was going to now be allowed to take part in missions again with his team, he was eager to be out in the field again as he got up and out of his bed, headed into the bathroom and got into good shower.

As soon as that was over, he got into his clothes and wore his new outfit that was modeled from his own clothes, though there a bit more regal looking and his clan's symbol there on the back as well, as soon as he was fully dressed, he got out of his room and was greeted by none other than Fenrix who was already dressed in his own normal attire.

"Good morning Naruto-sama, it seems to the day you get back to working with your old team, am I right?"

"Yeah! It's going to be great working with Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan, and even Sasuke again.. But I hope my mission will be an exciting one soon!"

Fenrix nodded at that and smiled a bit to see Naruto happy at being able to take part in missions once more. He could tell that his charge needed to get out more and get back into the world of being a ninja and he was more than willing to let that be the case as Naruto did need to get out more often than most. As they walked together, Naruto was surprised to see that the halls seemed to be rather silent at the moment, normally there would be some activity in the fortress and he spoke to Fenrix.

"Fenrix-sensei, where is everyone?"

The senior Dragon Ascendant grinned somewhat and the two walked into the direction of the kitchen and as soon as they walked in, Naruto was greeted by a rather surprising sight.

There was Hinata, Temari, and Hana all cooking together and Hinata was gently giving help to the others for the moment as the other two were taking their turn to cook, apparently Hinata and been able to convince both Temari and Hana to try their hand at cooking and it seemed that both were going to have to work hard. Temari had no prior experience with the cooking aspect of being married, while Hana had some experience as she was the house keeper when her family was out and she had no duties, but her skills were not that good.

Hinata however was more than willing to help her co-wives in this matter and her gentle nature was more than enough to get the others at ease with this aspect of their lives, so far it was working well enough for them as she guided them through the cooking of the dishes that they had selected. As he watched the whole thing unfold before him Naruto couldn't help but wonder just how things were going to turn out in the future.

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Later...

"Man....that was great, I haven't had that much food in my life!"

Naruto walked towards the training field while Hana, Temari, and Hinata were next to him, the meal in the fortress was something else as he was able to keep various meals that were made and thankfully his appetite was more than enough to handle that much food. Hinata's cooking was great while Temari and Hana were not so bad either though they each had their own preferences to cooking, Temari was not really into spicy food all that much and seemed to dislike some types of seafood namely squid and octopus, while Hana on the other had doesn't seem to have any serious likes and dislikes when it came to food so she seemed to be the more balanced of the three when it came to food.

After the breakfast feast that they had been in, the four of them headed off to meet with Kakashi who had left behind a message to Fenrix to have Naruto and company meet him, Sasuke, and Sakura to the training field. They were naturally escorted by Hana's canine familiars the three wolf/husky hybrid siblings known as the Haimaru Sankyodai or the Grey Triplets, the three canines were close to Hana and they also seemed to be in cordial terms with Hinata since it was learned by Naruto that Hinata would sometimes bring snacks and treats to the dogs of the Inuzuka Clan apart from Akamaru, which was why her family treated Hinata like an adopted member of their clan due to her kind and gentle nature.

As they walked over, it was then that Temari spoke to the blonde Genin as she wanted to know what the blonde knew of the Jonin who they were going to meet.

"So you're Jonin sensei is Kakashi Hatake? What's he like?"

"You want to know about Kakashi-sensei Temari-chan? I thought you already knew him."

Temari smiled a bit at the endearment that Naruto gave her and replied to the question of her husband to be.

"I know only what the village elders have on him, he was known as the Copycat Nin, and is one of the recognized Jonin of Konoha and is known as the son of Konoha's White Fang, and is supposed to be the only non Uchiha Clan user of the Sharingan to date right?"

"That's about right but I didn't know about him being the son of White Fang, who is this guy you spoke of?"

Temari was surprised by this and replied.

"You mean to tell me that you don't know that much about you're sensei?"

"The only things I know apart from the stuff you mentioned already Temari-chan is the fact that he's REALLY tardy and loves reading those novels made by that Pervy Sage, you cannot see Kakashi-sensei without his face in one of those books!"

"Who?"

Naruto then replied to that, realizing that he had not explained just who he was talking about.

"The guy I'm talking about is the man named Jiraiya, perhaps you know him?"

Temari's eyes were raised and she replied.

"Know him? He's one of the Sannin, we know about him when we were still in our own school back in Suna, and as far as I recall he used to be quite the ninja in his day and even now as well, in fact he considered to be a Kage Level ninja already, he trained The Fourth Hokage as well and we all know about the Fourth's reputation. And I am aware of the fact that he writes the Icha Icha series of books, it's just kind of surprising that you're calling someone of his caliber by that name."

"But it's the truth…anyway, back on the topic of Kakashi-sensei, he is all that, but he's not so bad actually, he might be kind of blunt and all, but he's all right, though I REALLY want to know what he looks like without that mask of his. You know that a LOT of people here in Konoha are actually rather curious what he looks like underneath the mask and all that. Apart from that he taught Sasuke that Chidori technique so I hope that I soon get to learn some new jutsu since he promised to teach me something good soon."

"I see."

Hinata then spoke to Naruto.

"Naruto-kun…."

"Yeah? What seems to be the problem Hinata-chan?"

"I hope that we'll do well if Kakashi-sensei decides to test us on how we work with Sasuke-san and Sakura-san as well as you Naruto-kun. What sort of test do you think that Kakashi-sensei will use on us?"

Naruto thought it over and replied.

"Well…the only test I know that Kakashi-sensei uses the most is the bell test, and that has a lot of memories for me…some of which I prefer not to talk about."

Hana then joined the conversation.

"Why would you not tell us Naruto-kun? You should be proud of the fact that you're team actually passed that test. Maybe you might not know it, but Kakashi has personally failed at least a hundred Genin teams in his career, you and your team are by the ONLY team of Genin to ever pass the test. That speaks highly of your talent and potential, not to mention the fact that Kakashi-san seems to have a great deal of belief in your abilities"

Naruto raised an eye brow at that but before he could say anything, they had arrived at the field and there already was Sasuke and Sakura, the dark haired Uchiha seemed to be a bit different than before and Sakura was there and smiling a bit more at the arrival of the others. The pink haired Kunoichi walked over to the group and greeted Naruto with a look of relief.

"Nice to see you back Naruto, it's good to finally get back into taking missions again right?"

Naruto smiled at that and replied.

"You bet it is Sakura-chan! But we're not going to be doing things alone this time, Hinata-chan, Hana-chan, and Temari-chan are here to add their own power to the mix! Speaking of which, you think Kakashi-sensei is going to be late once more?"

"That's a rather odd question Naruto-kun."

They all turned and to the surprise of the team led by Kakashi, their Jonin sensei was early for once. Naruto was the first to naturally commented on that.

"You're early!!!!"

Kakashi replied.

"I did say that I was not going to miss this chance to see how this newly expanded team will perform remember?"

The others remembered that well enough and as Kakashi looked at the newly expanded team before him, he had to admit that this was going to be something worth seeing and experiencing. It was not every day that the usual team setup was changed. Since Kurenai's team was not on a mission, this was the only time Hinata was part of the roster, as for Hana, she was not required to be in the veterinary clinic at the moment so this was going to be interesting, and since Temari was not part of any team or have an occupation in Konoha that would require her attention, then she was going to be a constant member in the new roster.

Kakashi smiled a bit more and decided to get things underway.

"All right then….now that we're all here, we're going to have to take time not only to get to know the new members of this group, but also get to see each of us using our talents in battle in sync with one another. For now however we're going to have ourselves a special test. In the forest ahead of you will be a trap filled location that you will need to get to without getting injured and taking too long."

Sakura was surprised at this as she had been expecting Kakashi to be using the bell test like he had done with them last time and she decided to ask.

"We're not taking the bell test Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi smiled behind his mask at Sakura's question and replied.

"That will be for later….at the moment I want to see you all move at speed as well as under pressure since it has been quite an interesting set of events recently. As soon as we're done before the end of the day, we'll get down to the bell test. For now, this is a treasure hunt of sorts, as the reward in question is a pouch filled with ryo that will be enough to pay for a half week's worth of food."

Naruto grinned at that and the Jonin replied.

"Hold up Naruto….to make things fair for everyone, I want you to resist using your full powers at the moment and rely on the skills you had before your Ascendant powers came to awaken. You can use a few of the powers you deem as appropriate for your needs, but don't go too far all right?"

Naruto grinned and nodded.

"Sure thing Kakashi-sensei!"

The Jonin smiled at that and moved aside.

"All right, let's get to it!"

As the group went ahead to look for the location but it was not long for them to discover that Kakashi had apparently been much earlier than they did as he had placed a huge number of traps for them to traverse for the day, some were mere distractions while some were a lot more demanding, like rope traps, pits, and the like. All the while, Kakashi wanted to see how they would operate as a team, the first wave of traps made them a lot more cautious and it was not surprising for them all to slow down for a minute and start working as a team at speed as Hinata was going first while Hana and her three canine companions were on the move as well. The Hyuuga heiress used her Byakugan to scout ahead and guide them from possible traps that were triggered by chakra while Hana's ability to smell in the same way as a canine along with the canine senses of her three familiars allowed them to further avoid traps that were able to use scent to trick them.

Temari also decided to get into the act as she used her fan to take to the air and look about for more open paths and as soon as she was able to see them, she would join the others with Naruto using his Kage Bushin to scout out the locations so they didn't have to trip any traps in the area that they were now heading to, Sakura herself also was able to use her ability to dispel Genjutsu when Kakashi used several Genjutsu techniques on them for the sake of keeping them on their toes

However it was when they were near a river crossing and Temari had taken to the air that she called out.

"THERE'S SOMEONE IN THE WATER!!!!"

That halted the exercise quickly enough as Kakashi then moved to them all and gave the order to head off in that direction with Hana and Temari in the lead along with Naruto and Hinata. As soon as they arrived, Naruto then summoned the tattoos that allowed him to change his elemental affinity to water and with some slow motions was able to lift the person out of the water.

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Hinata used her Byakugan on the person and replied.

"He's still alive from what I can see with the Byakugan, but really tired, though I can see a large amount of chakra in him."

As soon as the sister of Gaara landed, she looked at the person before her and her sister wives along with her husband, she had been able to know most of the people there in the village of Konoha, but this person before them didn't strike a memory chord, that and the fact that he didn't have a Konoha forehead protector on his head told her that he was not from around here….unless he had that piece of equipment somewhere else on his person, as most ninja were able to place their forehead protectors on other parts of their body for difference in appearance.

"Who is he?"

Temari asked as she looked at the young man Naruto had just managed to fish out of the water, the man had blonde hair and in wild disarray and wore a scarf along with a long sleeved light violet shirt with an undershirt that was black, green pants as well and sandals. He looked to be a bit older than herself and seemingly harmless, but Temari had learned that first appearances were deceiving to say the very least.

Naruto shook his head and replied.

"I have no idea, but I do know that he's not from around here."

It was then that Hana moved towards the young man and went to check for injuries, while she was a vet and a majority of her patients were animals, Hana was trained in medical jutsu and she began to check the young man's condition, she was intent on this as the others arrived on the scene as Hinata guided them after she had met up with them earlier. Kakashi then spoke to Hana.

"How is he?"

"I can't really be sure, but he's alive at the moment, that's all I can say, I've never had much skill with human patients being a veterinarian, but I can tell that he is not in danger of severe injury. He still needs to be taken to the hospital though since I am very much concerned of his health."

Kakashi nodded and turned to the others, it seemed that the exercise he had in mind out have to be cut short for this moment. This stranger who Naruto had managed to find in the mission needed medical attention and needed it quickly.

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In Konoha's hospital...

Tsunade arrived and looked the young man over as he lay there sleeping, the Hokage then turned to face one of the Medic Nin who was in charge of the new arrival.

"How is he?"

The Medic Nin nodded as he picked up a chart and read what he and the rest of the Medic Nin had been able to gather on the young man brought in by Kakashi's group while they were out training in the woods.

"Apparently the young man passed out due to hunger as well as physical exhaustion, most of the wounds he had on were minor so they were fairly easy for us to treat. The other wounds however are consistent with wounds associated with those gained in combat, so he must have been in a serious fight. As far as we can tell, despite his injuries he's fairly all right, but when we did more studies, he seems to have some considerable chakra reserves."

Tsunade thought that over and wondered just who this young man was, so far he was out of danger and would recover soon, that much she herself could see, but there were questions about him that needed to be answered in due time, for now, the boy was to be in isolation and recovery until the questions about him could be properly answered. The Hokage then decided to handle another matter and that was naturally pertaining to the duties that she could give to Team Kakashi.

"Very well, is there anything on his person that can tell us anything?"

The Medic Nin shook his head and replied.

"No identifying marks as of this time, however, we did find this device on him."

The Medic Nin pointed to a small instrument that Tsunade was quick to recognize.

"An ocarina?"

"Yes, it seems to be very well made for a musical instrument and is unharmed despite the fact that the young man had been badly injured. We decided to keep this close for the time being so we can make sure that the patient will find it."

Tsunade wondered just what a young man would be doing with an ocarina of all things but decided to shelf that for another time as she decided to leave for the Tower for work, but not before talking to the Medic Nin.

"Keep him in isolation for a day or so, when he's fully healed, have him taken to a more public wing of the hospital, and I will assign an ANBU to watch him, once he is healthy enough to talk, have the ANBU send word to me immediately at the Tower."

"Hai Hokage-sama!"

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On the way to the Hokage Tower...

The Hokage decided to look for a mission that would soon suit their now expanded pool of talents as they were by far the largest ninja team in Konoha at this point and time as well as being rather diverse.

Naruto's newly introduced powers made him the powerhouse of the group and Sasuke's Sharingan would give them an extra edge along with his Fire based Jutsu, though she hoped that there would not be too much friction between the two since she was made aware of Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry with one another, and of course Sakura's own intellect, chakra control, and ability to dispel Genjutsu. She had a feeling that Sakura's current abilities were just the tip of the iceberg and with the right training, she could become stronger as well. She could see great potential in the pink haired Kunoichi and with time she could be able to match her fellow ninja, though how that could be accomplished was still to be seen, though she would be able to become skilled with her already existing skills.

And of course there were the new additions to the team, Hinata's Byakugan, her own level of chakra control and her Gentle Fist were deadly additions to the arsenal, giving Kakashi's team considerably advantages in detection and long range sight along with deadly Taijutsu skills despite Hinata not being the type to take a person's life, then there was Hana and her canine familiars as she lent the Inuzuka Clan's fighting style as well as their highly developed senses into the fight in conjunction with the already strong senses of their canine familiars which gave the team an even greater edge in tracing their quarry. And lastly there was Temari herself who was gifted with exceptional tactical brilliance and skill as was reported to her by Asuma and several other Jonin, coupled with the fact that she was a skilled fighter in her own right and one of the few Genin ranked ninja to have the chakra control and reserves needed to summon an animal companion, apart from Naruto, according to her data profile.

The facts before her were things that were on the Sannin and Hokage's mind as she made her way back to the Tower, at the moment, Jiraiya was busy gathering information on Orochimaru and therefore was in the field while keeping in contact with her and she had just received a report from Fenrix about the current mess that was creeping about with Homura, Koharu and Danzo, much to her annoyance and worry.

The three were among the most influential members in Konoha today despite the fact that Danzo was not part of the Council, she hoped that they were not going to cause a ruckus with Naruto's clan but she had a feeling that they were going to do just that anyway. The reason was that considering Naruto's already deadly powers, couple with the possible children that he and his wives would have would really make them viable targets for the elders to try and influence, and she knew enough of Danzo's organization and the man himself to never want any children that Naruto would have to be influenced by that war-hawk of a man.

Danzo headed the ANBU Root group and while Tsunade admitted that they had done a great deal to protect Konoha in the shadows, the methods they had were reprehensible to her, along with the brutality of their training methods and the idea of any child that Naruto had being subjected to such things was disturbing and repugnant to her in all aspects. She was not going to ignore the fact that Danzo was more than willing to do what he could and use whatever method he knew of to influence the children, she could block that, but the rest would have to be done by Naruto himself, his wives, and of course Fenrix himself.

Tsunade then shelved those thoughts aside for the time being as she decided to focus on the two matters that were in her mind, the first being the organization of Team Kakashi due to the expanded roster, as well as the young man who was in recovery at this time. The first matter was a bit tricky since they were a much larger team, though the idea of having an eight member ninja cell was not unheard of, it was rarely used since having too many ninja in one group would increase the number of losses.

She knew that for a solid fact as that was key reason she had requested that Medic Nin be present in each squad to minimize the losses suffered in combat, the same reason that cost her the life of her brother Nawaki years before. That was a sour point and it was then that she had an idea on two members of Kakashi's expanded squad....namely Hinata and Sakura, since the two of them were gifted with high chakra control, they could very well serve as Medic Nin to their group, if Hinata was not present in the group, then Sakura could be able to handle that regard, and while Hana was trained more of a veterinarian, she was also gifted with considerable Medic Nin skills, though she would have to focus more healing her comrades if the need came to that.

Combining Hana's talents and giving her increased training in the area of healing human patients as well as animals, and then training both Sakura and Hinata as Medic Nin would give Kakashi's team a serious advantage. And if Hana and Hinata were not able to join the group for different reasons since Hana was a Chuunin and worked in the veterinary hospital and Hinata was still part of Kurenai's team, then Sakura could still be able to do her part as Medic Nin. This gave Kakashi's team a considerable advantage over most of the other teams as of the moment and it made her smile a bit more as she thought it over. She decided to talk to Sakura's parents as well as Hana's mother and Hinata's father to see if they would agree to her taking their daughters in and training them when the time was right.

The next was the need to have the group be given a supporting leader due to the increased size, and that was easily fixed since Hana was a Chuunin and therefore was second in terms of rank to Kakashi and the fact that she was already a veteran ninja was adding extra weight to having her serve as second in command to the newly expanded team.

The blonde Sannin had no doubt that there would be other problems that would crop up, but she was willing to take the time and effort needed to get the newly expanded team of ninjas to be able to work well, she was rather looking forward to this day.

Which brought her to the other matter, and that was the young man that Kakashi's team had found when they were busy in their training runs a fair distance from Konoha. The young man seemed to be fairly healthy and would soon recover in time; however she was still not sure what to make of the young man at this time, she needed to make sure that she got all the details right before making a decision on the man.

As she arrived, she was greeted by none other than Naruto who looked very concerned and that made Tsunade stop for the moment to find out just what seemed to be concerning Naruto this much.

"What seems to be the problem Naruto-kun?"

"Tsunade-san, how is the guy doing?"

"He seems to be on the mend though we're not taking any steps to assume that he's out of danger, The Medic Nin will keep him under observation for the time being, as well as keep him under watch. We don't know much about him for the moment so we're going to make sure that he is watched by a lone ANBU."

"Watched by one of the ANBU?"

Tsunade nodded at that and replied before Naruto could speak since she could tell that he might try to defend the young man who he had found.

"I know that you might not like it Naruto since he was badly injured when you found him, but we do have to be cautious since after the whole debacle with Orochimaru and his forces, then we should tighten security for the time being to make sure that we don't get blindsided by spies or worse. It might sound unfair, but it is needed after all."

Naruto sighed and saw that Tsunade had a point in that regard and replied.

"I understand."

Tsunade smiled at that and replied.

"Good, anyway, I need to speak to your team so can you have everyone in your newly expanded group to meet me here in the Hokage Tower?"

"What for?"

"There are some matters that I need to discuss with them concerning the new rules that your team is subjected too as well due to the increase in size, all right?"

--------

In her office...

Tsunade and Shizune were in the office just as Naruto arrived with Kakashi, Hinata, Hana, Temari, Sakura, and Sasuke arrived. And it was not long before they were soon joined by Kurenai, Kiba, Akamaru, Tsume, and Shino. Tsunade had called Kurenai's team over in order to discuss the matter first with the teams involved and then she would later call on Hiashi, Sakura's parents, and also Tsume to discuss what she planned for the team.

Hinata was curious what her Jonin sensei was doing here at the time being, so she decided to wait for the time being to find out what seemed to be important for them to be here in the Hokage Tower. Hinata was not the only one as Hana was curious as well and so was Temari. Kurenai was also rather curious about this sudden turn of events but she was willing to be patient to learn what the Hokage wanted to speak of.

Tsunade smiled a bit mentally as everyone was all here, but now she was all business as this matter was something that had to be dealt with soon to make sure that the ground work was placed into play and not haphazardly put in.

"It's good to see that you all have arrived on time. The reason you've been called here is to lay down some important rules for Kakashi's team due to the increase in it's roster, as well as an important decision regarding it's members and that of Kurenai's team as well."

The others listened as Tsunade began to speak about the changes that Kakashi's team had to undergo in order to make due to it's size and the current pool of talent that it comprised of. The others listened carefully and despite not having a very high interest in such matters, Naruto did pay attention to the whole thing to find out what Tsunade had in mind for the group he was in.

It was Tsunade's announcement that she had plans to ask Sakura's parents, Hinata's father, and Hana's mother that she wanted to train their respective daughter in Medical Jutsu that really got their attention as the three Kunoichi were looking at Tsunade with some considerable surprise and awe. Sakura, Hinata and Hana were amazed that Tsunade was willing to train them in the art of Medical Jutsu. They were all aware of the fact that Shizune was Tsunade's closest equal in the art of Medical Jutsu, having been trained by Tsunade herself as well and while she was not at the level of her sensei, Shizune was more than able as a Medic Nin. To be trained by Tsunade herself was something of a great honor in any way possible.

Sakura was naturally the first to speak, though she managed to retain her composure despite the fact that she was overjoyed at the thought of being trained by one of the legendary Sannin.

"You want to train us Tsunade-sama?"

"That is correct, and I will tell you why, you Sakura already possess exceptional chakra control which is essential in the training of a Medic Nin, along with a great degree of intelligence and deductive reasoning which is evident in your records both in the Academy and in the Chuunin Exams, and unlike your team mates Sasuke who I have no doubt used the Sharingan and Naruto who DIDN'T answer a single question, you solved the problems well on your own without resorting to cheating in any fashion, that speaks highly of your already present intellect."

Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura looked at Naruto in utter shock as the blonde gulped at the scrutiny while the others were also stunned as Kiba raised an eye brow, Temari looked with amusement, Hana was trying not to laugh, Hinata was surprised as well and Kurenai couldn't help but shake her head with a smile at the implications of that statement. Sakura was the very first to speak.

"Wait a minute....you mean to tell us that you DIDN'T answer a single one of those question?!"

Naruto gulped and nodded at that.

It was then that Sasuke did something that he was never known to do at all...

He burst out laughing.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! ALL THIS TIME!!!!!"

The others were surprised to say the least as the Uchiha youth was laughing a great deal at this and Sasuke couldn't help but recall that event before, he just somehow found it funny that Naruto had done that during the Chuunin Exams, by all rights they should have been barred from taking the rest of the Chuunin Exams, but it was Naruto's bullheadedness and temper that kept them in the Exams, he couldn't help but find it funny for some reason.

Sakura and Naruto as well as Kakashi and the others couldn't help but stare as Sasuke continued to laugh out loudly, Tsunade allowed Sasuke to continue laughing until he finally stopped, and managed to cool his jets so to speak, but he still couldn't help but chuckle a bit more at the discovery. He sighed a bit as he managed to get his old self back on track and looked at Naruto but he had to admit that he felt a bit different, that was the first time in years that he had ever laughed without any malice in it.

Tsunade coughed to get everyone's attention.

"At any rate, these are the reasons why I am planning to ask your parents Sakura if they are willing to have you train under me, but I would like to know if you want that."

Sakura nodded, she knew that this way she could be able to help out her team better and make herself a more useful team mate to the others in her group.

"I would be honored to be under your training Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade nodded and directed her attention to Hinata as the white eyed Hyuuga heiress waited for the Hokage to speak.

"As for you Hinata, as a member of the Hyuuga Clan you already have developed a considerable level of chakra control which is due to your clan's Kekkai Genkai and that will allow you to be able to master the use of some of the Medical Jutsu used by Medic Nin, added to that is your own calm and collected demeanor, ability to think in tough situations and not rushing into battle without a plan is a good thing for the Medic Nin to have in order to avoid injury that would incapacitate them in a fight. The Byakugan will also benefit you as Medic Nin since this will allow you to locate the exact areas of injury through the chakra pathways."

"Those are the reasons why I too will be asking your father permission to have you learn the Medical Jutsu arts under me and Sakura, this way you can help your….husband to be and his group as well as your own group if you are on a mission with them, is that all right with you Hinata?"

Hinata blushed and nodded.

"I would be honored Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade then turned to speak to Hana.

"And as for you Hana, I know that you are already a skilled Medic Nin, but it would be wise to increase as well as improve your own knowledge on human anatomy and healing to ensure that you will be able to heal both your animal familiars and your companions and your fellow humans if you are in the mission, is that all right with you?"

Hana nodded as she knew that being asked to be a student under a Sannin was an honor to itself.

"I would be more than happy with the chance to learn what I can Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade smiled and as things seemed to be under way, the door opened and in came Iruka who was not in the best of appearances as he shouted.

"There's a fire!!!!"

"WHAT?! WHERE?!"

Iruka replied.

"There in the hospital!"

--------

The whole group from the Hokage Tower rushed with Tsunade in tow as they moved there as quickly as they could to save the people there in the hospital, they could see the columns of smoke there in the hospital and that was more than enough to have them hurry as fast as they could. As soon as they got there, they saw that the Medic Nin staff had been able to save the people there, but they were surprised to see the same young man that had been in recovery before was helping the people escape from the flames despite the fact that he was supposed to be resting.

Tsunade rushed there as well as Shizune when the young man finally collapsed from exhaustion after giving a coughing child to a nearby Medic Nin. The blonde Hokage checked the young man's vital signs and was relieved that he was all right. She turned to the ANBU who was there helping the others in trying to defeat the flames and spoke to him.

"What happened?"

"Somehow an accident occurred with some of the chemicals used in the hospital's storage area Hokage-sama, as far as we know, there's been no attempt to deliberately set the hospital on fire so this was an accident in all standards, but as soon as the fire dies down, we'll make our move to check out the area where the fire started."

"Good. How did the boy come out of his room?"

"He managed to recover on his own hours earlier, much to our surprise, we were about to send word when the fire broke out, he then rushed into help the people just as the rest of the hospital staff began to evacuate the patients."

"I see…focus on keeping this fire contained."

"Hai Hokage-sama, but what of the boy?"

"I have a plan. Go and keep the fire contained before the rest of Konoha is burned."

"Hai!"

Tsunade then turned to the young man and then looked at Naruto.

"I hate to ask, but since you're home had plenty of space….do you mind taking him in Naruto until he recovers?"

"That's not a problem Tsunade-san, we'll take him there right now."

'Good, make sure that , as soon as he is recovered, send word tome and we'll find out who he is, if you can, talk to Kin as she is from Rice Country, she might know who this young man is, it's a long shot, I'll admit to that, but you'll never know."

--------

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

Been a while since this was updated huh?

Sorry for the delays, time is not always on my side and I have been suffering from some serious sicknesses again due to the hot temperatures here as summer closes in. This might be short, but I try to work with the time I have on hand and try to avoid overstressing myself at much. And if the fact that Sasuke just laughed might be a bit odd, well, hold on to your hats cause I have other plans for this story involving the young Uchiha. No, I'm not going to turn him back to brooding traitor boy that he was in the manga and anime….but I can't say anything else than that.

Anyway, wager a guess on who this person in question is, and in the coming chapters, Naruto will not only take part in missions but also….ahhhh, get intimate with his partners, and who is going to teach him on how to be with women?

Why a certain white haired pervert of a Sannin and his own Dragon Ascendant sensei of course!

See you soon!


	14. Chapter 14

Naruto Dragon Ascendant

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Naruto

Chapter 12

Guest...

( ): Thoughts

…

In the Uzumaki Clan Fortress…

Kin and Fenrix looked at the young man being brought in by the ANBU and escorted by Naruto, Temari, Sakura, Sasuke, Hinata, Tsunade, and Hana, as well as Shizune, and Kakashi. The group was guided by Kin to one of the rooms and there they placed the youth into the room, and on the bed. Once that was done, Tsunade explained the situation with Fenrix and the senior Ascendant nodded in agreement for the time being with the idea of having the young man stay within the Fortress.

"Of course Hokage-sama, we will shelter him here until he fully recovers, once he does, we will send word to you as quickly as possible."

Tsunade smiled at that and replied.

"My thanks, in the meantime, I have to return to my work in the Tower, so I hope that we can get some good news about our young guest."

With that, the Hokage, Shizune, and the ANBU took their leave while Kakashi spoke once more.

"Well, at any rate we have a mystery in our hands on this young man, so at the moment, I'll have to cut the training short for now, we'll get back to the training once we're done though I have a feeling that since the village is short handed, I will be called off for either patrol work or assignments."

Fenrix then spoke to Kakashi.

"Before you leave Kakashi-san, there is a matter that I believe we should be discussing."

Kakashi was curious about that and decided to follow Fenrix to another room to allow the Dragon Ascendant to tell him what was on his mind. As the pair moved to the main hall, Fenrix then spoke his mind concerning Sasuke, namely on Sasuke's request to train under him. Kakashi was curious about that and why Sasuke would ask that from Fenrix himself. It was not that he thought that Fenrix had plans for Sasuke, the being was a trust worthy sort, but he already had his hands full on teaching Naruto how to be an Ascendant like him so why this?

This left Naruto and the others with time on their hands and it was here that temari decided to speak to Naruto.

"By the way Naruto?"

"Yes Temari-san?"

"You and I need to train for a while and I want to see just how strong you really are, you all right with that?"

Naruto thought it over while Hana then spoke to them.

"If you guys have that in mind, I am going to go to my clinic and get some work done, I have n doubt that I have a lot of work to take care of with my patients."

Naruto nodded as Hana left with her canine familiars, and it was here that Hinata asked to train alongside Temari and Naruto. The blonde Shinobi thought that it was a good idea as he could also use the training he had gotten from Hinata in a more serious battle. This also meant that Sasuke and Sakura had time on their hands. Sasuke thought it over and decided to go and head back home while Sakura decided to head off to meet her parents and handle some of the chores back at home.

…

As for Kakashi and Fenrix, the two were currently talking about Sasuke's desire to learn from the Dragon Ascendant. Kakashi was surprised by that and was curious what were the techniques and skills that Fenrix could teach Sasuke.

"How do you plan to teach Sasuke Fenrix-san?"

"There are certain techniques that I can teach Sasuke, these techniques do not need the user to be an Ascendant like me and Naruto, and while it will take a while, it follows the same level of training that ninjas would use. Think of my training to be similar to that of you're Chidori training but does not use hand seals."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow at that and replied.

"That sounds rather interesting, is there anything else that you can be training him with?"

"Yes there is, as he has a Kekkai Genkai, then some of the techniques I will teach him may have an effect on it, I also have a feeling that you yourself can learn it even though you do not own the Sharingan that you have. However you have made your own way so I believe that it is up to you if you will allow me to train Sasuke."

"I see…let me train him for as long as I can, and when I am done, you can train him. But I have ask, what can you train him in?"

"Apart from techniques and skills, I plan to teach him what it means to fight for something more important than simply avenging his family."

"And what is that?"

"The future… if he succeeds in killing his brother Itachi, Sasuke is the last of the Uchiha, he has to find something that can fill him with a purpose once he no longer has a reason to hate and rage over. To teach him to look beyond the desire and need for revenge is what I want to do, you agree with me on this Kakashi?"

The Jonin was silent and nodded at that as he could not help but see that Fenrix had a point, Sasuke needed to find a purpose and goal if he did succeed on his desire to avenge his family. There was more to life than revenge and battle, he knew that to be true himself as he had worked hard to be where he was after all the things that had happened to him ever since becoming an adult.

"I guess, I have to admit that I worry about Sasuke after that encounter with Itachi and what would the results be. I can only hope that he does not allow himself to be turned to the side of darkness. If you can help him in any fashion, then I am all for it."

…

It was not long before the young man recovered at least a few hours, Ayame had been in the fortress to cook some food for Naruto's guest when it was she who noted that he was awake, she placed the food near the table and moved out of the room and called out to Naruto once she found them. The blonde head of the Uzumaki Clan was busy working with training alongside Temari and Hinata for a while now. Once she was able to get their attention, Naruto, Temari, and Hinata made their way to the room and when they were all in, the man was now fully awake as he was sitting up on the bed and looking around to figure out where he was at this very moment.

Naruto was the very first person to speak.

"Are you all right?"

The blonde youth looked at Naruto and nodded slowly, and then he spoke as well.

"Yes. Where am I?"

Naruto then replied to that.

"You are in my home, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. What's your name?"

The young man looked at Naruto and it was here that he spotted Temari and Hinata who were walking into the room, he raised an eyebrow a bit and looked at back at Naruto.

"Who are they?"

Naruto looked at where the guy was looking and blushed a bit and replied with some reluctance as he was still trying to wrap his brain around the fact that the women in question were going to be his wives at a later date.

"They are Hinata Hyuuga, and Temari, and they are…very important people to me."

Hinata blushed at that and could understand that Naruto was still trying to process the fact that he was soon going to be married to not just her, but Temari and Hana. Temari on the other hand was a bit more direct and even though she could understand her fiance's reluctance due to their age, she was not going to hide it.

"Actually we're his fiancées."

Naruto blushed deeply at this and was unable to say anything and that allowed the recovering man to widen his eyes and looked seriously at the three people in his room, just as Ayame walked in, she too was a bit shocked at this but decided to wait a bit more to see just what was going to be Naruto's answer on the man's possible question on that bit of information.

She and the others did not have to wait for long as the young man spoke.

"Aren't you…a bit young for that?"

Naruto tried to come up with an excuse and Hinata decided to clarify things first.

"It's….kind of c-c-complicated, but we are going to…marry N-Naruto-kun soon, he is the…head of this household, and this clan after all."

If anything that made the young man look at Naruto in surprise and he replied.

"Aren't you a little too young to be a clan head?"

That only served to make Naruto even more annoyed and a bit more embarrassed as he said nothing at first and after a minute or more of silence, he replied.

"It's complicated, suffice to say, Temari-san is right, and you are in my home, do you remember what happened back in the hospital?"

The young man nodded and Naruto then decided to try asking the young man's name, it was a bit odd for sure to be asking him since he was supposed to be an amnesiac but there was no sense in not trying. The young man looked at the blonde seriously and then began to slowly shake his head side by side.

"I don't know…I honestly don't remember name."

It was here that Naruto looked at a bowl of the ramen than Ayame had made earlier for their guest and got an idea from looking at one of the food items that made his favorite food.

"I have an idea…would it be all right if I give you a temporary name until you remember your real one?"

The young man said nothing for a moment and then smiled at Naruto and spoke.

"All right then, so what do you want my name to be?"

Naruto scratched his head a bit and replied.

"Okay…I know this might sound weird and all, but is the name Menma all right with you?"

The blonde haired youth was a bit surprised at the name and it was Temari who could not help but find the name a bit amusing as she spoke to Naruto as she knew what that name meant.

"You want him to be carrying the name of a food item Naruto?"

Naruto looked at Temari and replied a bit in slight annoyance.

"My name also means fishcake apart from Maelstrom Temari-san, so I don't really see why it's a bad idea. Besides, I don't know any other names right now."

Temari looked at her husband to be and she could see that he was somewhat offended by what she had said and had to admit that he was right about his own name. She decided to reply to that in a tone of apology since she had to admit that making fun of another person's name was uncalled for at times and hardly a good way to make an impression. And he was a guest in their house after all.

"All right, I apologize for that Naruto, I just never expected that for a name choice."

Naruto sensed that Temari was sincere about her apology and accepted it.

"It's all right Temari-san, anyway, is that name all right with you?"

The man looked at him and the others and soon gave a nod. Naruto was pleased and decided to make sure that when he had to free time, he would speak to Tsunade about the name he had given his guest and also ask for him to remain in the Uzumaki Clan fortress until he was fully recovered and had his memories back.

…

It had been a bit of a hard few days as the young man, now known to the others as Menma began to recover, periodically Tsunade would send over some Medic Nin to see to the recovery progress of Menma and make sure that he had no other condition from his ordeals both from the river and then from the hospital fire that he had been in. Those were usually watched by Fenrix and Kakashi as well as a squad of ANBU who were more than willing to handle those duties if needed.

As soon as he was back on his feet and fully healthy, Menma worked on doing small odd jobs all over Konoha to show that he was able to contribute. This helped him build something of a positive reputation to the elders of Konoha as well as the citizenry, Naruto himself was more than willing to help Menma in doing those very same tasks even though he was not supposed to.

Tsunade and Shizune were pleased by that and when Jiraiya came back every now and then, he would also look over the whole situation as well. They were a bit amused by the name but since the young man did not seem to mind begin given the name by Naruto, they agreed to it and so far, Menma was going well, that however did not mean that they were not going to be wary as they usually made sure to have Kakashi check on the young man.

Kakashi managed to take some time away from missions to train alongside his students, and devoted some time to Naruto, and the blonde appreciated the training. Kakashi might be late as usual for those sessions with Naruto but he made sure to keep the training interesting every now and then. Fenrix himself was around to teach Naruto as well, befitting the fact that the two of them were the same due to the powers they possessed.

As for the others it seemed that Kin had developed a bit of a shine to the young man as when he was not working, they were usually talking to one another and hanging out. Tsunade made sure to check on that as Kin was a former Sound Kunoichi, namely to see if she had any idea if Menma was a spy for Orochimaru, Kin in those meetings replied that she had not sensed anything wrong with Menma and she was not aware of anyone in the force she was with matching Menma. Plus the personality he had did not match anyone in Sound as far as she knew, though she admits that she would be watchful…even though she herself found the man to be rather nice and certainly someone she did not mind at all to be around with.

As for Naruto himself, the young clan head was getting used to being in the situation that he was in right now. His relationships with Hinata, Hana, and Temari were improving bit by bit though so far, much to Jiraiya's concealed but undeniably present chagrin, the blonde had NOT tried to get frisky with his fiancées. There was no rule against that sort of thing since they were soon going to be married to one another soon, but Naruto was not yet sure of the whole thing himself.

This was an amusing thing for the young again Tsunade as she was happy that despite the fact that Naruto had perverted traits, he was a gentleman about it unlike her shameless team mate. Still, even she was wondering just when Naruto was going to do it with his fiancées, if only to find out from them how he did when it came to doing his 'husbandly' duties as it were. She and Jiraiya would routinely take some time off and be in each other's company when work was not overwhelming them and she had to admit privately that at least Jiraiya's perversion was good in the bedroom and he had a lot of energy as well now that he was made into a young man again by that spell Naruto had overpowered in the past.

And at the very least she was not getting any complaints of him from the women in Konoha, showing that he was keeping his promise not to be a pervert now that they were together. It was a bit new still to her, but she was happy that at least she found someone she cared about and who cared about her just as much. It was hard to imagine her and Jiraiya in a romantic relationship given the number of times she had slugged him for being a pervert. She even reminded him of the time when he used to call her flat chested when they were in the bedroom, much to his embarrassment as well.

Shizune herself was busy with her own work and while she was not happy when Tsunade skipped work, she did not bother too much as Tsunade was hard working when she knew that it was needed. She would also routinely check on Naruto when Tsunade and Jiraiya were busy and she found it nice to be around Naruto and also the others who made up the people in his home.

The days went on and it seemed that there was going to be a lot of time for Konoha to recover and have some level of peace. But Tsunade, Shizune, and Jiraiya had no doubt that things would change soon enough. They had no idea when would that be, but as Ninja and with their years of experience, they knew that it was not going to be far behind them.

And they were very right…

…

In the Tower…

Tsunade was looking over the records alongside Jiraiya as the toad summoning ninja had decided to do some digging around concerning Orochimaru. The two were still busy with their work and despite the fact that she suspected that Jiraiya had brought some sake again, she appreciated that he was focused on the mission at hand on not only finding where Orochimaru had gone, but also where his base was so far. There was no doubt now that while he had attacked with a very fierce army of ninja during the attack, there was no doubt that the Village of Hidden Sound was not an actual village.

As she poured through the records she looked to see Jiraiya being intent on reading the reports, she recalled that there were few times Jiraiya was ever serious about something if it was not his desire to let his perverted ideas run amok. This was one of them and she spoke to him.

"You know…if you were only like this when we were younger back in the day, you would have been a lot more than what you were."

Jiraiya looked at Tsunade and smiled a bit.

"I know…but then again if I was serious all the time, you'd wonder where that idiot pervert of a team mate you had disappeared to."

"I suppose that's true…anyway, any luck on your part?"

"Afraid not…the data that I managed to find without being found out only said it was in Rice Country, but you know him…if we find one base, he usually had others to hide it…I asked that young female Genin from Sound a few questions and she said to me that Orochimaru never stayed in one base for too long."

Tsunade nodded at that and looked at the reports, but that stopped when Shizune arrived with a group of ANBU with her and they carried someone with them…definitely not a citizen of Konoha.

Tsunade looked at this and was quick to jump into her serious mode as she looked at Shizune.

The Jonin assistant of Tsunade quickly replied.

"Sorry to disturb you Hokage-sama…but this man managed to attack some of our people outside of Konoha's walls, he apparently went after Menma with intent to kill. He was stopped by Naruto-kun and Kakashi-san when the two were training a bit earlier."

Jiraiya then spoke next.

"How are those two?"

"They are fine, it was Kakashi who managed to call in the ANBU and had this man brought in."

Tsunade and Jiraiya looked at the man and could tell right away that he was a bandit with ninja training, no doubt a missing nin or from a bandit clan. The Hokage then spoke to one of the ANBU.

"Get the Bingo Book and find out if he is listed in the pages from all the countries."

"Hai Hokage-sama!"

Tsunade then directed her attention to Shizune and spoke.

"Get Kakashi over here to report to me what happened in detail."

Shizune nodded and left as Tsunade turned to the ANBU who was there alongside the others.

"And get Ibiki as well as Anko, he might be a bandit but we cannot take any chances. I want to know why he is here and why he was targeting Menma."

"Hai Hokage-sama."

…

It was not long before Kakashi arrived in the Hokage Tower and spoke to both Jiraiya and Tsunade on what was it that had happened earlier. The two listened intently as the Jonin revealed what he had seen and heard when he and Naruto fought the bandit, and once he was done, Jiraiya spoke first to Kakashi.

"So this man attacked the people of Konoha first and then went after Menma?"

"Yes Jiraiya-sama, apparently he had done the attack to get our attention and then went to look for Menma and attacked him, I was with Naruto at the time in training with Menma coming along with us when it happened. He recognized Menma and attacked him, demanding why was it that Menma was here in Konoha and not with the rest of the clan and why he left them behind."

"Did you notice anything else about this bandit Kakashi?"

"Yes, Menma revealed some skill in combat while in the fight before me and Naruto arrived, so there might be some truth that Menma was part of this bandit's group due to his combat skill no matter the fact that it was not refined. And there was something odd as well, it seemed that Menma has some sort of jutsu with his ocarina to boost Naruto's chakra when he was fighting the man when I arrived as well."

That got their attention as well but they recalled that Kin herself stated that she was not aware of anyone who in the forces of Orochimaru had used an ocarina before when they spoke to her a few days ago. That was something that could mean that Menma was not a spy or terrorist in Orochimaru's employ. But that did not mean that they were just going to throw away their wariness towards Menma, Kin was a Genin after all and as such was not high up in the ranks of the forces under Orochimaru's command. And they knew their former team mate well enough to know that he had many allies who he would no doubt keep secret from the others he had, and considering that he viewed others as mere tools for his missions then it would make sense that he kept them from knowing ALL of his plans.

The two Sannin looked at one another and began to try and find a viable answer to this mystery that had somehow landed in their laps. This was something of a concern but until they could get more information from the bandit, they were going to have to wait before committing. That was when Jiraiya spoke once more.

"So how is Naruto taking the news?"

The Jonin replied to that easily.

"He's not the least bit happy, I think he's taken a shine to Menma despite some of his own doubts which he confided to me and Fenrix and considers him a good man. Most would say that Naruto is jumping to conclusions, but I know for a fact that Naruto can sometimes surprise people, so he might be right in saying that Menma is not in league with the bandits."

The two Sannin knew that to be true so they decided to take their time and Tsunade spoke to Kakashi as well.

"All right then, I want you to make sure that Naruto is all right Kakashi, and make sure that Naruto and you keep an eye on Menma, he might be innocent, but you and I, as well as Jiraiya know for a fact that we have to be absolutely sure before we can make a move. The bandit's already in Anko and Ibiki's hands so we should hope that they can get the answers we need."

Kakashi nodded and replied.

"Knowing those two, that would not take too long."

…

It was only after half a day when the answers they were looking for came and it was only Tsunade and Jiraiya who saw it so far. Apparently the man was part of a very large bandit force that was operating in the DMZ, the actions taken by Orochimaru on Konoha had sparked some serious conflicts near the Lands bordering the former Land of Rice Fields, and this man along with the bandits were taking advantage of the situation. They were currently attacking a village which at first was not of value at first glance, but after looking at the data, they discovered that there was a rather lucrative gold mine in the vicinity of the village.

The mine was currently unguarded due to it being in a de-militarized zone and was therefore open to all who could take advantage of the chaos and the villagers who lived in that village had nowhere else to go. They were the ones who mined the gold and where the only ones who knew of the location of the mine and why the bandits had been harassing the village itself.

Tsunade looked over this information carefully in order to come to a more focused decision on what should be done. And she decided on a course of action after some time, he looked at the current roster of available ninja and found that Kurenai was available along with Hinata, and the same could be said for Neji and Tenten as Lee and Gai were not. Gai was busy with Lee's recovery and training while Kakashi, true to what he had predicted was on assignment and could not lead the team he normally had command of.

Asuma was also on assignment and had his team with him, while Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru were busy on some matters of their own so they were not going to be around for the time being. Hana herself was busy with some of her duties in the Konoha Veterinary Center so she would not be there to help.

This meant that they were going to have a composite team to handle this mission and it seemed that she had a very interesting group to send. Anko was also available for work and thus having two Jonin and a few Genin should help. Thus the composite team she had in mind had Hinata, Temari, Kin, Tenten, Neji, and Naruto as the team with Kurenai, and Anko as leaders, Anko was the more senior Jonin while Kurenai would be the junior Jonin as well. It was a rather odd choice for a team, but it was going to have to do for the time being.

The team was going to be assembled tomorrow and soon would be dispatched, their mission was two fold, one to secure and defend the village and the mine if possible , and the second objective was to make sure that Menma was able to finally recover his full memories. This had to be done to make sure that they were ready for anything.

…

In the tower the next day…

Kurenai was walking alongside Hinata as the two were talking to one another, the older woman very curious on how her young student and something of a surrogate daughter was doing in her new life and her being ready for when she was going to be married to the young man that she had loved for a very long time.

"How are things with you and Naruto Hinata-chan?"

The Hyuuga heiress blushed deeply and twiddled her fingers once more but she was also smiling as she enjoyed the fact that she was able to be with the one that she loved for a very long time.

"It's been all right Kurenai-sensei, and I am happy that I…I can be with Naruto-kun."

"I see…so I suppose that you are getting ready for marriage, you do realize that sooner or later, you are going to be in a wedding with Naruto-kun right?"

The young Kunoichi nodded and her blush was a lot stronger as well, the idea of being married with Naruto and the what was to come once wedding night came."

"H-Hai…."

Kurenai could not help but chuckle a bit at the way Hinata was blushing deeply and could not help but wish she could give more advice to the young heiress on what she was going to do when she and Naruto were going to have their wedding night. But she knew that now was not the right time for such thinking as they had a mission to handle…still she was curious what was it that Tsunade had in mind since her team was short handed since Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino were not present due to other matters.

"Hey there Kurenai-chan!"

Kurenai could not help but look to see none other than her friend Anko Mitarashi herself, the two Jonin smiled at one another and Anko could not help but notice the deeply blushing Hyuuga heiress and smiled wickedly as an idea came to her mind. She placed that plan in action as she spoke to the young lady.

"So Hinata-chan, have you decided to try and get…frisky with your Naruto-kun?"

"Aaaa…..ummmm…."

The Jonin grinned deeply and couldn't help herself as she spoke again to the young heiress.

"Hey, if you want we can go and buy more books, or I can teach you a few things on how to wrap your husband around your finger…among other things."

Kurenai could see that Hinata was blushing to the point that steam was no doubt going to come out from her ears and decided to intervene. She did so by speaking to Anko and made sure to show that she was serious in telling her mischievous colleague that now was not the right time for her to be teasing the young Kunoichi.

"Anko, that is quite enough, we have a mission to take care of."

Anko gave a cute pout to Kurenai and replied.

"Well I am going on a mission too…though I have no idea whether I am going alone or with a team, the Hokage was not very clear on the subject."

That was when Naruto, Kin, and Temari showed up as they too were summoned by the Hokage along with Neji and Tenten. This surprised everyone in the hallway as they all proceeded towards the office of the Hokage. It was here that Kurenai noted that Sakura and Sasuke were not around. Sakura was currently working in the Konoha hospital as part of her training as a Medic Nin, but since Sasuke was medically cleared to work with the team, it was a bit strange to note that he was not around at all.

The same could be said for Kurenai as she spoke to Naruto.

"Where are the other members of your team Naruto?"

"Sakura-chan's working in the hospital and Sasuke's with Fenrix back in the fortress… do you have any idea why Tsunade-san asked us to come here Kurenai-sensei?"

The dark haired and red eyed Jonin shook her head and replied.

"I am not sure, but I doubt it's for a social call, we'll find out when we get there into her office."

…

In the training hall...

Fenrix looked at Sasuke who was waiting for him to teach him some new moves, and he had one lesson in mind that would help Sasuke in battle, something that if properly mastered and controlled, could be the key in helping him survive the battle that was before him with his brother. As soon as he saw that Sasuke was ready, he took out a sword and spoke to Sasuke.

"Before I teach you battle techniques, there is one technique that you can learn that is oriented in recovery and defense, this will be the very first technique and will form the basis of what I will be training you in."

Sasuke was surprised and spoke.

"Defense? Why do I need to learn that?"

"Patience Sasuke, you wished to learn from me, then you must be patient, this is for a purpose, as of today, I was made aware that you possess the ability to use both Fire and Lightning Elements, am I correct?"

Sasuke nodded, he remembered his promise to learn under Fenrix and decided to watch the Ascendant.

"Good, now in your land, Lightning is normally used for offensive attacks and for some level of defense, but there is more to it than that, this sword is going to be an example, watch closely Sasuke."

The senior Ascendant cut his own arm, surprising the Genin as he had thought that no normal weapon could ever cut a Dragon Ascendant's flesh and skin. Sasuke watched as Fenrix cut his arm again, to form an x-shaped pattern on his arm as the blood flowed out from the wound, but it seemed that Fenrix didn't seem to notice, he placed the sword away and walked over to Sasuke and then stopped as he showed the Uchiha his arm.

"Now….this is the technique."

The Uchiha watched in amazement as lighting began to arc over the cuts, binding together and then….to his utter amazement, he saw flesh begin to seal itself, blood vessels that were cut begin to grow new tissue and merge into one once more, tissues beginning to fuse back together once more, and as soon as the flesh bonded together, he saw skin begin to cover the wound and in mere moments, the once bleeding x marked wounds were gone….not a single scar was there at all, it was as if the wound never existed.

(How… how did he do that?)

Fenrix noted Sasuke's shock and replied.

"What you saw is a technique that uses the energy of lightning to accelerate the body's natural healing process to a higher level. This is what I am going to teach you for today, if you can master this, then you will begin the first step in your desire to avenge your clan and learn the truth of that night, so what say you Sasuke, do you think you are ready to learn this technique?"

Sasuke nodded in dumb wonder, he had seem something that by all rights was impossible, Fenrix had healed that wound WITHOUT any use of Medical Jutsu, it was as if he had done the move without an action at all. He then spoke to Fenrix.

"How did you do that?"

"As I said, there's more uses of lighting energy than just straight out fighting Sasuke, I will explain to you once you have sat down on the chair."

Sasuke looked about and saw no chair until Fenrix made a simple motion and the earth behind him moved and formed into a chair without an effort and Sasuke sat down as Fenrix spoke to him once more while revealing a diagram of the human body in the same fashion as he had made the chair.

"What you saw was me using the energy of Lightning to augment my body's natural healing as I have stated. The concept of the technique is simple, the five elements in the terms of the human body can be described in this fashion, The flesh and bones are the Earth, Blood, bile and the like are related to Water, breath is naturally related to Air, spirit and thought is Fire, and lastly, the energy that flows through the body is Lightning. This technique is a way to allow the natural energy of the body that is tied to Lightning to speed up the healing process. There is no Jutsu involved and does not function in the same fashion as the healing techniques of ninja."

"This is a way to use the Lightning Element to increase the body's natural healing process and it does not use any hand seals, making this a difficult technique to counter since it is not tied to the use of hand seals."

Sasuke began to grasp the idea and replied.

"It's a concealed healing technique."

"Correct, however, like all techniques, it is not fool proof and easy to master. You must be able to balance the amount of Lightning to make the technique worse. The reason is that your body's cells can only handle a certain amount of Lightning energy flowing through them, which is why your body produces only a certain level of electrical energy in it's cells. In the use of Jutsu that focuses Lightning Element, you focus your chakra to a certain point through the use of your hand seals to gather the energy of the element, this technique does not use seals due to the fact that you have to mentally control the flow of electrical energy and use it to speed up the natural healing process."

"Control is the key to this technique….use too much Lighting energy and you damage your own cells and injure yourself badly and naturally making already present injuries even worse, use too little and you do not heal faster and leave yourself open to attack, further making your situation even harder than before. Control also applies to the level of injuries that you will suffer, learn to study the wound and learn how much Lightning energy to use in order to heal the wound effectively while not using too much or too little. That is why this technique requires precise control of your body's natural electrical energy flow and how to use the chakra from your Lightning Elemental affinity and also excellent understanding of the body's natural healing rates and ability."

Fenrix studied Sasuke and as soon as he was sure that he had the young man's full attention he spoke.

"This is a complex technique and I have not taught Naruto this, I plan to teach him a different variant, if and only if you can master it in your time under me, you will learn more advanced techniques. I will also teach you how to see the truth in the events that led to your current state and through it, you can make the choices that can give you a future after you do kill Itachi. Do you have any questions Sasuke Uchiha?"

Sasuke looked at the senior Ascendant and he realized that he had just found a good teacher after he had learned much from Kakashi, and he wanted to see if there was any truth in his statements that there was more to what had happened that night.

"Just one….when can we begin training?"

Fenrix nodded and replied.

"You will know when the time comes, I will tell you when the training begins, for now, you have an idea of what to expect from me, I will push you to your very limits and if you perform well, then I expect you to give me more. And I will teach you something else…something important."

"What?"

"Knowledge, it might seem and sound simple at first, but Knowledge IS power, I will teach you how to use it for your purposes and how to use it to shape your future. The future you build will be based on the knowledge you have and how you use it after, the future you build with that you learn from me is uncertain, but it might have three possible paths, on fill with light, another with darkness, or if possible….both. Are you ready?"

"Yes I am!"

Fenrix smiled a bit at that moment and replied.

"We shall see Sasuke Uchiha. You are about to learn ancient secrets thousands of years old, and lost in time, we shall see if you are ready. I will see you soon."

Sasuke nodded and turned to leave, but then Fenrix then spoke.

"One more thing…I want you to remember this…find a reason to live in the future, it can be anything, an ideal, a mission, a goal, or a person."

"What do you mean?"

"You will learn on your own time. Or…you might find that reason looking at you. Now then, are you ready for my brand of training?"

"Yes."

"Good, let's get started."

…

Back in the office…

Tsunade looked at the assembled team and spoke to them about the soon to come mission while Jiraiya was in the room as well, he grinned at Naruto's direction and even winked a bit at his godson and something of a student, which did not escape Naruto's notice and he tried his best not to look at Jiraiya which only served the make the Sannin grin at Naruto even more. Amused thoughts began to fly into the mind of the Sannin as he thought of his student the Fourth and the Fourth's wife Kushina.

(Minato, I might not have turned you entirely into a pervert, but I am going to try my best to make your son into one…don't worry though, considering the situation he is in now, it's for a good cause.)

He placed that aside as he recalled telling the young Shinobi about the facts of life, but he never had yet gotten to the…methods of it just yet. He placed that aside as Tsunade began to explain the mission.

"You all have been called here to handle a mission pertaining to that bandit attack a day before, Anko, Ibiki, and our interrogators have determined that he was part of a group operating on the demilitarized zone between the Land of Sound and several other nations. As you have guessed, Orochimaru's attack here on Konoha and the Land of Fire in general has stirred up the proverbial hornet's nest. The bandits appear to be attacking a village which seems to be near a lucrative gold mine located in the mountains. This also pertains to the attack on Menma, we need to bring Menma along and hope that he might be able to shed some light on why that bandit attacked him and possibly allow him to recover his memories."

"Now this might not be the standard number of ninja in a team or the usual setup, but as you know, we happen to be rather short handed so we have to make due. And so far, this team has a very good chance of success. The leadership position shall be between Anko and Kurenai as both as Jonin so they will share joint leadership of the team. Menma should be coming along as well so as soon as he feels he can come with you, bring him along. Your mission is to secure and defend the village as well as the mine, and to see if we can find out why that bandit went after Menma and if there is any truth to what he said about Menma being part of their group."

"Any questions?"

Temari then raised her hand.

"What do we know of the village Hokage-sama?"

"Not much I am afraid, since it is located in the DMZ and as such there is now solid intelligence there to work with, so in turn data on it is rather sketchy. But since the bandits are there, it is safe to assume that the bandits are raiding the village, no doubt to try and locate the mine since the villagers may know the location. We don't know if the villagers have fought back against the bandits but we have to assume that they might be doing so. Remember that data is scarce so don't take any chances, take what you need and be ready for anything."

Jiraiya then spoke to them as well.

"I also want you all to keep in mind that we might be operating close to the Land of Sound so there is a possibility that Orochimaru's Sound Ninja might be operating in the area. There's no way for that to be sure but getting money for what he will be planning is going to be a possible event due to the chaos going on and Orochimaru will have agents on the ready for that, even he needs funds to do his dirty work and get his supplies. If you encounter them, try to capture one or more for interrogation, this might help us locate any place that Orochimaru might be operating from. I know that it's a long shot but keep your eyes open for any possible opening for it happening either way. And denying him access to the gold mine will hurt him as well so do your best in any case."

Tsunade looked at the team and gave them the order to go and get the mission done, they had a lot to do and she can only hope that the mission was going to work out in the end not just for them but for all involved.

…

To be continued...

…

Author's Notes:

Okay, first off, this story is NOT a crossover of Legend of Zelda, I made that very clear from the get go as there is nothing that ties Dragon Ascendant to Legend of Zelda. The guy in question is Menma, the filler character who is introduced with the ability to use music to enhance chakra reserves.

How can you guys suspect that it was Link from LOZ when the story of Dragon Ascendant is NOT related to LOZ in the first place? I could not get it at all when I saw the comments since it was fairly obvious from the get go.

Anyway, it seems that Fenrix is keeping his promise in teaching some techniques to help him defeat Itachi in battle, but the first technique is for self healing...

Will this be the first step in Sasuke's changing life in this story, wait and see!

I do know that there are some who might not like the redeemed Sasuke idea, but I see no reason for me NOT to try it out myself, but I do have some plans of my own so let's just leave it at that for now.

…

I have to apologize if this was short as well, I have not worked on this for nearly a year and since I had not done so, my ideas for this were a bit rusty. Not to mention the fact that since my computer had been on the fritz a number of times, some of the data I had placed in originally was lost so I had to start from scratch again to get this story back on track as soon as I possibly can and hope that I could at the very least revive this work of mine.

I do plan to update this as soon as I can and when I have the free time, but I have to watch a lot of Naruto media again to get a feel for the general direction of the story and since this was nearly a year old, I have no doubt that with all the revelations that have happened since then in the manga of Naruto I have a lot to do in order to match things up again.

I'll try to add the data revealed in the manga and try to spin my own take on the situations that have come up. What I can say is that sooner or later, Danzo and the two Council members will try something but are going to be in some hot water soon enough.

...

And do not think that I am only letting Temari, Hana, and Hinata be the ones Naruto is marrying, there's still some ideas I have in mind and some other females I am tempted to include when we reach that point so this is a harem story, but like I have stated before, I am going to do my best to make sure that the relationships are going to be solid and believable. Who else am I going to add to Naruto's clan you ask? Feel free to add suggestions but make sure that they make some sense when paired with Naruto and how they can be made to develop a relationship with him as well as get along with the three he is already officially recognized to be marrying soon.

I MIGHT include Shizune since I personally like her so feel free to make your own suggestions.

...

And will the now young again Jiraiya and Tsunade tie the knot themselves at some point in the story?

That is going to be a secret for the time being, but I can assure you that their relationship is going to be cemented and I have no intention of changing this at all. Who knows…maybe Jiraiya and Tsunade might wind up being father and mother soon, THAT should be interesting for a lot of people to see just what sort of parents they really are and just how many kids they are going to have what sort of kinds they are going to be.

And for the benefit of those who have not understood for some reason or another, Jiraiya and Tsunade in this story have been made into young adults again so they are no longer in their respective fifties, all right?

…

And like Naruto Dragon Champion, the Lemons for this story will be in a separate section so when I do get to the lemony bits, then you will know already that it is in a separated story.

...

On the update list...I plan to start working on my Naruto stories again...but these are not going to be the usual stories...These will be stories of a Lemony nature, so you can bet that I will be VERY busy in making some very hot and steamy lemon stories. I KNOW I am going to get a great deal of problems with this move as you have to admit that making new lemons and resurrecting the ones I have managed to save is not going to be a walk in the park.

I have some new plans for the lemons and I will be looking at some new concepts, but nothing in the extreme range, not my sort of thing anyway.

This means that the Naruto Dragon Champion Lemon Section story will be updated, as well as the Deserted Island story. I would like to point out that due to this, I am going to have to be gone for a long while in order to make the new chapters so do not be surprised if I do not update for a long while as I have a LOT to catch up on.

Afterwards, I am going to be updating my VanDread the Fox story, next to be updated is going to be my Naruto Justice League Fire Shadow story, and that will be topped off by an update for my VanDread Curiosity's reward story.

Afterwards, I will work on my Fallout new Vegas story as well...see you soon!

P.S

For the Naruto Tekno Ninja story…I am reviving it as well, and I do have some very interesting plans in mind after taking a LONG break from it. I am not deleting it as it is still filled with potential and I am not the kind of person to kill off my stories unless there is a good reason for it or the story in question cannot be sustained.


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